A section of Azimio legislators allied to opposition leader Raila Odinga has faulted US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman for claiming that the 2022 presidential election was free and fair.
Led by Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, the legislators took offence to the envoy's remarks, asserting that Kenya's election system is fundamentally flawed and deemed her comments as insensitive.
Speaking during a press conference, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang stressed that the Ambassador's comments are prejudicial to the ongoing bipartisan talks designed the end the political tiff between Azimio and Kenya Kwanza.
"The discussions are premised on three things that she (Ambassador Whitman) spoke about in a very insensitive manner. One was on electoral justice, two was on the Finance Act 2023 and three is on corruption," Kajwang affirmed.
"Azimio team that has gone for the negotiations has instructions that those 3 issues should be on the table and I know that once both houses of Parliament pass the relevant motions, the next step will be to agree and frame the agenda items. We would not wish our foreign friends and foreign partners to get involved in domestic conversations," he added.
Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga maintained that it is insensitive for the US Ambassador to talk about Kenyan democracy especially now when the two main political formations are disagreeing on pertinent issues.
"I think it is too insensitive for the US Ambassador to talk about democracy in Kenya when this regime has actually delegitimatized cries of the Kenyan people to demonstrate, to picket and to assemble.
"This is a right that is enshrined in the constitution and it is even borrowed from the American constitution and I really felt hurt when the US Ambassador is dancing and praising democracy in Kenya when such rights are being criminalised," Oburu charged.
At the same press conference, Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua asked foreign powers to avoid immersing themselves into Kenyan politics.
"We expect our foreign friends and especially the United States to be sensitive, mature and to avoid making comments that are likely to erode the little trust that we are building for the sake of our motherland," the legislator quipped.
Away from the press conference, Rarieda Member of Parliament, Otiende Amollo did not hold back, unleashing a scathing attack on the envoy whom he accused of promoting economical gains for her country at the expense of tenets of democracy.
"For her, it is all about business, and not democracy. Business is all that matters to them," the Rarieda Member of Parliament claimed in a statement.
The Legislators also wondered why President William Ruto asked the audience at the ongoing 8th Devolution Conference to offer Whitman a standing ovation after making her remarks on Wednesday, August 16.
At the event, Ambassador Whitman stated the elections were a proof of how democratic Kenya is.
She lauded the country’s efforts in conducting credible, transparent and verifiable elections.
"Kenya held what many analysts and commentators say was the freest, fairest and most credible election in Kenyan history." she said.
Whitman’s remarks came at a time the Kenya Kwanza Administration and Azimio are engaging in bipartisan talks to resolve political differences among them the results of last year’s presidential election.
