By Nicodemus Minde
The US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton is on a seven day Africa tour. She is visiting a number of African
countries in what is seen as an attempt to check on China’s growing influence
in the continent. It is barely two weeks since China pledged over $20 bn in
credit facility and technical support in various sectors of the African
economy. This pledge was made in the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on
China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in late July in Beijing. Chinese influence in
the continent has grown enormously. The Chinese are mainly targeting the
construction industry and rentier African economies. This has sent shivers to
the US who see China’s growing influence as a direct challenge to their global economic
hegemony.
Clinton’s Africa visit can be
interpreted as a counter check of the growing Chinese influence. True to
America’s foreign policy strategy, the trip has been choreographed and tailored
on Washington’s pursuit of democracy and the respect of the rule of law as its
enduring foreign policy essentials. Clinton is visiting Senegal, South Sudan,
Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda and Benin. Her visit to Senegal
amplifies the spirit of smooth democratic transition in competitive and free
and fair elections. Senegal’s opposition candidate Macky Sall beat incumbent
Abdoulaye Wade in a fiercely contested second round of the Presidential
elections early this year. The smooth of the transition was heralded as one off
in a region that is largely volatile to electoral malpractices and coup d'états.
Clinton’s visit to Senegal can thus be
seen as a way to congratulate the country for the smooth transition.
Why Kenya?
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| Madam Clinton meets PM Raila Odinga |
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I would like to explore the
implications of Clinton’s visit to Kenya. This is Clinton’s second visit to
Kenya. Her first visit was in August 2009. The United States has an interest in
keeping Kenya stable, so Washington has a good deal in Nairobi. The Kenya
Defense Forces are in Somalia in attempts to dilute and scuttle the Al Shabaab
militia. Kenya needs assurances and support from the Americans. America sees
Kenya as a key ally in the attempts to squash terrorism in the Horn of Africa region.
Clinton also visited Uganda which is also a key ally in the attempts to deal
with the Al Shabaab menace.
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| Madam Clinto with President Kibaki |
During her visit to Kenya, Clinton
reiterated the need for a democratic transition in the coming elections in
March 2013. This can be affirmed by her meeting with the Independent Electoral
and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). She also had an audience with the Chief
Justice Willy Mutunga where they discussed among other things, the speed of
judiciary reforms. Madam Clinton further discussed Uhuru Kenyatta and William
Ruto, who intend to run for the presidency despite the noose of ICC still
hanging in their necks. It is believed that Clinton sought the government
position on the possible eligibility of the candidacy of these two individuals.
Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa, who is a key political ally of the two, is
believed to be of the support of the two to run for the president. However, in
the meeting, Wamalwa said that the matter is in court and that the courts will
rule over the matter. Clinton is said to be against the idea of the two
running. In the event of either Ruto or Uhuru winning the elections next year,
Clinton says that it could jeopardize the otherwise smooth relations between US
and Kenya.
