US visa ban threat against leaders is an act of intimidation, says Mutua

• Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula has summoned the US ambassador, Mr Michael Ranneberger for talks over letters that the American government has sent to 15 Kenyans, threatening to ban them from travelling to the US. Daily Nation talks to Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua

And that is why it is so important to respect what the President is doing and trying to achieve. We are not going to stomach threats, intimidation for our own internal affairs.

What does the government think of arguments that the President should have left Foreign Affairs to deal with the matter?

President Kibaki is very clear in his letter. He is not telling Obama, ‘you are writing the letters’ but he is telling him that ‘your people are going about it the wrong way’. He is saying, the way your people are going about it is wrong and it will not achieve the desired results.

The President did not write to Johnny Carson. He wrote to Obama telling him, ‘can you look at what your people are doing. Is that the right manner?’.

The President does not engage in activist diplomacy. He is tackling the core of the problem and saying, ‘we are working together as brothers and sisters, we are working together as teammates, we are working together as partners. We do not have a master and a slave here. We work together as partners and friendly nations’.

But doesn’t it send mixed signals when the Prime Minister supports the US move while the President protests?

There is no contradiction because the US has every right to ban people from their country. The President is protesting at the writing of letters to individual ministers and civil servants.

If anybody has a problem with what the President is doing, they should take it up with him and not target people working under his orders.

So then, what is the status of reform in the country as outlined under Agenda Four?

There has been a lot of misinformation about the so-called pace of reforms. The government is on schedule when it comes to the pace of reform. If you look at all the reforms agenda four; the constitution, we are on track with a committee of experts looking at the constitution.

On land reforms, a paper was brought to Cabinet and a sessional paper will be brought to Parliament once it resumes. The national cohesion and reconciliation commission has started work. On boundaries, there is a committee at work. The ECK was removed and a new one has been put in place and it has conducted two elections very well.

When you look at police reforms, the taskforce is scheduled to report at the end of the month. On judicial reforms, a taskforce was appointed and the legal process has started.

All of these things are on schedule. The only thing that has not worked as well as we would have wanted is the issue of the tribunal. The President and Prime Minister personally went to Parliament to try and have the laws passed. A local tribunal was shot down in Parliament.

Our parliament is independent just like the US Congress. Currently the Obama government is having difficulties passing its national health care plan because Congress is independent. We cannot blame Obama for the failure of Congress to pass the legislation he wants.

But, isn’t time running out for ahead of the elections in three years?