Nairobi -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has a full in-tray of issues to tackle during his two-day visit in Kenya.| They're doomed... |
Mr Kerry arrived in Nairobi from Sri Lanka Sunday, with the US State Department saying his visit was meant to “reinforce the importance of the strong US-Kenyan bilateral relationship.”
| He couldn't have stayed in Sri Lanka a few more days? Take the waters? Go sailboarding? |
“We are seeking stronger security relations with the United States. We are also going to be taking stock of where our relations are,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Amina Mohammed, who received Mr Kerry at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
| Given that the usual human rights crowd is all pissy at your country, you can expect very little from Jahwn and Champ. Pray they don't decide to come after you. |
Besides security, Mr Kerry’s visit will also focus on economic cooperation between Kenya and the US. Mr Kerry’s visit is a precursor to the scheduled July visit to Kenya of US President Barack Obama, who had promised to visit the land of his father before the end of his second term in office.
An analyst, Prof David Kikaya, said Mr Kerry’s visit was a sign of improving relations between Kenya and the US.
“The visit is a recognition that the cold war between Kenya and the US over ICC has thawed to a point where both parties see relations in a different way,” said the scholar who teaches international relations at USIU-Africa. “In fact Kenya remains a fairly trusted friend of the West in this very turbulent Great Lakes region.”
Kenya will be looking for support in the face of terrorist attacks.
| Good luck. Oh and remember, you're doomed... |
The fight against Al-Shabaab will feature high on the agenda since Mr Kerry is today scheduled to meet Defence CS Raychelle Omamo, her Interior counterpart, Mr Joseph ole Nkaissery and Ms Amina after his talks with President Kenyatta.
A US State Department official said: “We think the Kenyans are doing their best. Fighting terrorism is tough, and particularly fighting it in this region is very tough.”
Human rights activists are also likely to put pressure on Mr Kerry “to address both new and longstanding problems in Kenya’s human rights record”.
| Because killing terrorists is ucky... |
| Corruption in Africa? Whoever heard of such a thing? Besides Besoeker, I mean... |
The letter was co-authored by groups such as Haki Africa — whose accounts were recently frozen over suspected support to terror merchants — Article 19, former US Envoy William Bellamy, Human Rights Watch and Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri).
| All the usual suspects. How does one expect Haki Africa to continue its activities to aid the Widows Ammunition Fund when its accounts are frozen? |
After his two-day tour of duty in Kenya, Mr Kerry will depart for Djibouti where he is expected to take the anti-radicalisation message when he meets with youth and religious leaders from Wednesday.