US government says it's 'closely monitoring situation' in Kenya

Activist Boniface Mwangi being arrested by police officers along Koinange Street on July 25, 2024. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

The US government has said it’s “closely monitoring the situation” in Kenya, a day after President William Ruto appointed some opposition figures to the Cabinet.

The inclusion of politicians from one of the main opposition parties, the Orange Democratic Movement, in a broad-based government was seen by many as an attempt by the incumbent to weaken critical anti-government voices at a time he is grappling with youth-led protests.

The ODM Leader Raila Odinga, who was the presidential candidate for a coalition of opposition parties during the 2022 elections, was the strongest voice that needled the government since he lost the vote to Ruto.

The Azimio La Umoja Coalition, in which ODM is a constituent party, is now a divided house, as three key parties - NARC-Kenya, Wiper, and Jubilee - are not a part of the power-sharing deal between ODM and the ruling coalition, Kenya Kwanza.

“The United States is closely monitoring the situation and is alarmed at credible reports of police units engaging in violence and arbitrary detention of protestors, the journalists telling their story, and emergency responders coming to their aid,” said a State Department spokesperson in an email.

The State Department official, who gave the statement “on background,” didn’t respond to specific questions, including the US government’s position on President Ruto’s accusation that Ford Foundation, an American organisation was sponsoring the recent youth protests.

The youth, who first started their agitations online before pouring onto the streets, initially demanded the withdrawal of a finance bill that proposed new taxes but later escalated their demand into a call for the resignation of President Ruto whose official term runs until 2027.

On Thursday, the State Department said the Kenyan police should protect protesters.

“Peaceful protestors should be able to expect a safe environment in which they can exercise their constitutional rights freely with protection from the Kenya police,” said the State Department.

The US State Department’s new statement is harsher than the one issued by the US Embassy in Nairobi a week ago which only said Washington was “deeply concerned by reports of violence, including shootings and abductions of protestors, journalists, and others.”

On July 18, the US Embassy called on “provocateurs and opportunists to avoid blocking roads and looting businesses,” urging the “police to exercise restraint and protect the rights of people to demonstrate peacefully.”

President Ruto was last May feted at the White House, where he met with President Joe Biden.

During his trip, the President secured wide-ranging deals with the US on security, trade, health, education, cybersecurity, and green energy, among others. 

The US’s embrace of President Ruto was viewed as a significant diplomatic development in Africa amid stiff competition between the West and its foes, China and Russia.

“As both of our countries strive to build stronger democracies that deliver peace and prosperity for our citizens, this is an important moment for all Kenyans to demonstrate the democratic values we share,” the US Embassy said in its July 18 statement.”