The Kenyan government has hired two former White House aides to strengthens Kenya's standing with the current US president Joe Biden as he looks to review trade negotiations between the two countries.
The two, Joe Lockhart and Patrick Dorton, who worked at the White House during Bill Clinton's administration have been contracted for a sum of $600,000 (which translates to Ksh64.5 Million), as reported by US publication Politico.
"The communication specialists under the company Rational 360 will assist Kenya’s ambassador to the U.S. in making inroads with “government and non-government officials” and general PR, according to their filing," the publication stated, referencing documents filed with the Justice Department.
The Biden administration is set to review trade deals made by Donald Trump including Kenya's Trade Deal with the US.
The review is to ensure that the agreements align with President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda.
Former UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi termed the hiring of the two aides as 'unnecessary.'
"This is a totally unnecessary and unusually extravagant waste of scarce public resources for chores which are the essential duty of an ambassador," he opined.
There had been uncertainty arising over the deal following the reversal of numerous policies by Biden's administration that had been rolled out by Trump. Among these policies include anti-immigration policies and climate change issues.
The deal had been initiated by Trump on July 8, 2020. However, negotiations stalled after two rounds due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
A previous conversation between Biden and President Uhuru Kenyatta hinted at the possibility of the deal being sealed as Biden expressed interest in building a strong and lasting relationship between the two countries.
Earlier in the year, the US Chamber of Commerce urged President Biden to seal the free trade agreement with Kenya in order to secure new investment opportunities.
"The Chamber supports the negotiation of a high-standard free trade agreement with Kenya, which may serve as a model for future trade and investment engagement with Africa," the business group stated.
