Whitman quits as shock wave of Trump's re-election hits home

 

 When former Prime Minister Raila Odinga hosted the outgoing US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman at his Karen home. [File, Standard]

Silicon Valley Billionaire Meg Whitman has resigned as the United States Ambassador to Kenya amid the global aftershocks of President-elect Donald Trump’s re-election.

In a statement, the outgoing envoy confirmed that she had submitted her resignation to President Joe Biden, informing Embassy staff of her departure Wednesday.

Ms Whitman described her role as an “honour and privilege,” implying that her resignation was tied to Trump’s return to the White House.

“Like all US ambassadors, I serve at the request of the President. The American people have spoken, and a new President will be inaugurated in January. I wish him and his new team success,” she stated.

“Our Embassy benefits from highly skilled Kenyan and American employees who will continue their efforts under the leadership of Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard to advance the shared goals on which our bilateral relationship has long been grounded,” she added.

Whitman, a Republican, was appointed as the U.S. ambassador to Kenya in August 2022, following her nomination by President Biden in December 2021, with the US Senate confirming her in July 2022.

Biden’s allies

The 68-year-old executive and diplomat’s departure coincides with Trump’s plans to reshape the government, sweeping out Biden’s allies. Trump has already started appointments, such as naming hardliner Mike Huckabee, who supports Israeli settlement in contested lands, as ambassador to Israel.

Additional appointments include billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge), an acronym nodding to Musk’s favourite cryptocurrency, Dogecoin. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a vocal critic of China, Iran, and Venezuela, is tipped to be Trump’s Secretary of State.

Though a Republican, Whitman supported Biden in the 2020 election, having previously backed Mitt Romney and John McCain in their respective presidential bids in 2012 and 2008. She later endorsed Hillary Clinton against Trump in 2016.

Locally, Whitman’s resignation follows growing criticism over her alignment with President William Ruto, who faces mounting public discontent. Many Kenyans have recently called for her recall, accusing her of interfering in Kenya’s affairs.

On social media, some Kenyans celebrated Trump’s victory over outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, believing it might hasten Whitman’s recall.

In May 2023, Whitman sparked controversy by describing Kenya’s 2022 elections as “the freest, fairest, and most transparent” in the country’s history, a statement that drew a sharp rebuke from opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Rogue ambassador

“Tell the rogue ambassador that Kenya is not the United States and Kenya is not a colony of the United States. Keep your mouth shut when you are here,” the former prime minister responded.

Whitman’s presence at the Bomas of Kenya ahead of Dr Ruto’s declaration as president also invited criticism. Her strong ties with Ruto led her to facilitate his state visit to the US in May, the first by an African Head of State in over 15 years.

Past US ambassadors to Kenya have frequently criticised government corruption and other abuses, and it is unlikely that Ruto will share the close rapport he had with Whitman with the next US ambassador.

Winnie Mitullah, a professor of development studies at the University of Nairobi’s Institute for Development Studies, told The Standard last week that the president “should forget that in the interim”.

Whitman’s tenure has been controversial, with some accusing her of failing to denounce human rights abuses under Ruto’s government, including abductions and killings. While she has occasionally addressed such issues, she has largely defended Ruto’s economic policies.

Public discontent remains high, with Kenyans protesting tax hikes amid rising living costs and sparking a youth-led uprising in June and July.

The diplomat defended her legacy, stating she was “proud of leading a people-centred agenda that saves lives, increases security, and creates economic opportunities for Kenyans and Americans.”

“From delivering emergency funding for catastrophic flooding in 2023 to the ongoing fight against malaria, HIV, and MPOX, the U.S. government prioritises the health and welfare of our friends in Kenya. This year, the United States elevated Kenya to its first Major Non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting our commitment to shared democratic values and security,” she stated.

When President William Ruto hosted the outgoing US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman and Senator Chris Coons at State House Nairobi. [PCS].

Whitman also emphasised her efforts in fostering American investment in Kenya, which she said had opened doors for more U.S. companies to do business there.

“When I arrived in 2022, I prioritised expanding these ties with my ‘Why Africa, Why Kenya?’ presentation to American companies and entrepreneurs. Trade, jobs, and U.S. investment in Kenya are at historic highs due to these efforts.”

She added that consular services had been expanded, with visa appointment wait times for nonimmigrant visas reduced from over two years to about two months.

During her tenure, Whitman focused on commercial diplomacy, presenting Kenya as an investment destination to US businesses.

She praised President William Ruto’s leadership, describing him as “very strong, smart, strategic, and someone who gets things done,” citing his vision for elevating Kenya to upper-middle-income status by 2030.

Whitman’s outreach extended beyond national concerns, as she highlighted opportunities for investment in Kenya’s counties.

Commercial diplomacy

Indeed, during her shortlived stint, Whitman has seemed more inclined towards commercial diplomacy, selling Kenya to American businesses as an investment destination.

She had assurances for potential investors that President Ruto, with whom she had established a strong chemistry, was “very strong, smart, strategic, and someone who gets things done.”

“He understands that economic growth and development is the way forward and has set a vision for accelerating Kenya’s drive to achieve upper middle-income country status by 2030,” Whitman said in a letter inviting entrepreneurs to the American Chamber of Commerce Regional Business Summit held in Nairobi in March 2023.

The business executive did not limit her marketing of Kenya to the national level, going beyond to highlight the opportunities in counties. 

A month after the Kenyan polls, the US ambassador was among a host of development partners who met the seven newly elected women governors, promising support for the development of counties.

In the months that followed, Whitman walked the talk, wooing US investors into the country. In November last year, she attended the groundbreaking event for a pyrethrum processing plant in Nakuru county and facilitated a forum between Governor Susan Kihika-led county and American and other investors.

Three months later, Whitman was Governor Gladys Wanga’s guest in Homa Bay during an investment conference, pushing for American businesses to explore the county.

Among the sectors she identified as open for investments include agriculture, agribusiness, health, education, the blue economy and tourism.

It was always clear that Whitman would focus on what she knew best - business. Indeed, as she would tell a local publication, Biden appointed her to the role courtesy of her acumen and networks.

Whitman’s business acumen, honed over a career that included leadership roles at Hewlett-Packard, eBay, and Disney, made her a fitting choice for her role.

With an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion, Whitman ranks among the wealthiest women in the world and has featured in Forbes’s list of the 100 most powerful women worldwide.

Her political experience includes a 2010 run for California governor on the Republican ticket, although she lost to Democrat Jerry Brown. In 2008, The New York Times speculated that Whitman might be one of the first women to become U.S. president.

Whitman is married to Griffith Harsh, a neurosurgeon, and together they have two sons and two grandchildren.