Details of President Uhuru Kenyatta's call with US President Joe Biden's top aide on the upcoming August 9 polls have emerged.
In a statement released by the US Department of State, Uhuru received a call from the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who expressed Biden's stand on the elections.
During the phone call, Blinken maintained that it was prudent for the elections to be conducted in a free and fair environment for all the elective positions amid concerns over the integrity of the polls from his Deputy, William Ruto.
"The Secretary underscored the importance of free and fair Kenyan elections that are peaceful and reflect the will of the Kenyan people," read the statement in part.
Further, the US assured Kenya that it will help the government in dealing with the skyrocketing cost of living that has been occasioned by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
He also engaged on other regional issues including US efforts to support African countries suffering from food insecurity as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the historic drought in the Horn of Africa
Additionally, Biden's administration commended Uhuru for his active role in mediating peace talks between the warring groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo having hosted high-level security meetings at State House, Nairobi.
Blinken promised that US would help Uhuru and other Head of States from the East African Community (EAC) as they work to restore peace in the country that has been marred with violence for many years.
"Secretary Blinken expressed his appreciation for the Nairobi process which has brought together the leadership of the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Tanzania. The Secretary noted these heads of state meetings are instrumental for facilitating the de-escalation of regional tensions, and in particular between the DRC and Rwanda."
On the other hand, Kenya took a firm stand at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) regarding the ratification of sanctions imposed on DRC.
It was explained that the sanctions would hinder DRC from equipping the military sufficiently yet rebellious grou[ps were receiving military artillery from other quarters.
"The UNSC has adopted resolution 2641 (2022) renewing sanctions on DRC. Kenya voted to abstain in solidarity with the DRC in their appeal for a full lifting of the notification requirement in respect to arms & the provision of assistance & training on military activities," Kenya stated.
