News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
The US President Barrack Obama’s goodwill message to Kenyans people urging them to conduct peaceful election and at the same appealing to the electorate to reject intimidation and violence to allow free and fair general election was well received last night.
President Obama ‘s message which was beamed over the country via all the television stations appeared to be neutral and impartial and did not favor any particular party of individual presidential aspirant.
The message conveyed in a video posted on the US Embassy website opened up with the President Obama speaking in Kiswahili “Habari” a local dialect which is the joint official language with the English. In the message President Obama urged the candidates to resolved disputes through the courts, rather that on the streets.
While not speaking directly on how the US government would interpret the choice of Kenyan
Make on March 4, 2013, Obama said if the election were credible” you Kenyans will continue to have a strong partners in the US.”.
“Above all the people of Kenya must come together before and after the election to carry on work of building your country,”he said.
President Obama made explicitly clear that the United States of America had not endorsed any candidate and would instead support free and fair elections work of building your country,’ he said, adding,” you can show the world that you are not just a member of a tribe or ethnic group, but citizens and great and proud people nation.
“I cannot imagine a better way to mark the 50th anniversary of Kenya’s independence.”
President Obama message is viewed by the local political pundits and observers as representing positive neutrality and impartiality on the part of the US administration, and a country which has maintained economic and military ties with Kenya ever since it achieved its political independence in 1963.
Obama cited his personal commitment to Kenya saying, he was grateful; for the welcome Kenyans had given him and his family in their beautiful country.”
President Barrack Obama has a family root in Western Kenya where his late father Barrack Hussein Obama hails from. His elder step brother Malik Abong’o Obana is in the race contesting the elective position of regional governor for Siaya County as an independent candidate.
The US President family and relatives lives in Nyang’oma village, Alego Kogelo in Siaya County, about 80 kilometer northwest of Kisumu City.
Many Kenyan had expected President Obama to throw his weight behind the Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, who is one of the leading contenders for the presidency, and who had a blood relationships with the Obama family family, but the perception did not materialize. The US President steered clear of the local politics, and this is viewed as a diplomatic coup and score.
Perhaps this was in realization that the slightest mentioning of Mr Odinga’s name could have given the Prime Minister undeserved political mileage over his seven other rivals.
Meanwhile both the US and the UK, the two principal economic partners of Kenya have separately assured the Kenyan voters for the impartiality and non commitment..
Kenyans will to the polls to elect the 4th President on March 4, 2013, and eleventh parliament, This time round there will be a tri-cameral legislative bodies which include the Senate and regional assemblies in all 47 counties governance.
The two Western powers have stressed their neutrality ahead of the historic general election and allayed fears of endorsing any of the eight presidential candidates.
They have also assured the Kenyans that the outcome of the presidential votes will not affect trades ties with Kenya and sanction would not be imposed no matter who become the next President.
President Obama’s message come in the background of some European countries hgave recently said it would not be business as usual if Kenyans elected the candidates with criminal, tugs on their heads, particularly the ICC suspects Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and the former Eldoret North M William Ruto.
Kenyatta is the Deputy Prime Minister and the son of the post-Independence President the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.Ruto is Kenyatta’s presidential running-mate. Both the two men had criminal cases of committing crimes against humanity. Their cases are pending before the Hague based International Court of Criminal Justices {ICC}.The candidature of the two has elicited a lot of discontents and criticism by many Kenyans who felt there was no need electing the pair while they have serious criminal cases hanging on their heads before an international court.
Ends