Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga has slammed US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman after she described Kenya as the most stable democracy in Africa during the devolution conference in Uasin Gishu County.
Addressing the media on Thursday, August 17, Oburu said it was insensitive for the US Ambassador to talk about democracy in Kenya after the current administration allegedly denied the opposition the right to demonstrate.
“It is insensitive for the US Ambassador to talk about democracy in Kenya when this regime has criminalized legitimate rights of the Kenyans people to demonstrate, picket and assemble. These are rights enshrined in the constitution and even borrowed from the American constitution,” Oburu stated.
He added, “I really felt hurt when the US Ambassador is dancing and praising democracy in Kenya when such rights are being criminalized and described as the destruction of property.”
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Ambassador Whitman on Wednesday also maintained her position that the 2022 general election was the most credible Kenya has ever had.
“I arrived in Kenya days before the general election, what I witnessed was short of remarkable. The election was observed by local and international election organizations and the results were upheld by the Kenyan Supreme Court and power was transferred orderly and peacefully at the time,” she stated.
Whitman also noted that Kenya is the gateway to the East African market of almost five hundred million consumers and a leading regional financial and ICT hub.
She further described Kenya as the leading destination for foreign direct investment and venture capital besides boosting of young, educated, and entrepreneurial English speaking workforce.
