US sees 'progress' on Kenya reforms

Pressure on Kenya to implement reforms is finally paying off, the US declared Tuesday.

Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said "significant progress" had been witnessed in a number of areas, giving Kenyans a ray of hope that all was not lost.

And he particularly singled out reforms in the police and the constitutional review process, saying this was an indication that things were on the right track.

But even as he hailed the new developments, he cautioned that a lot more was still required to tackle high level corruption, institute judicial reforms and the prosecute post election violence suspects.

“These are some of the areas that no action has been taken at all by the government and we are concerned ,” said the envoy at a news conference in Nairobi.

“But we are glad that the pressure and encouragement that the US government and other countries have been putting on Kenya has been helpful… we are finally witnessing some significant developments in the reform agenda,” he added.

The US has previously warned Kenya that it will not be ‘business as usual’ if it fails to implement the reform agenda, negotiated under the guidance of former UN chief Mr Kofi Annan.

President Obama's administration threatened to impose sanctions, including visa bans, on individuals identified as frustrating efforts to implement reforms.

Attorney General Amos Wako has since been banned from travelling to the US.

Mr Ranneberger was, however, unable to confirm allegations that former police commissioner Hussein Ali has also been issued with a visa ban.

The US has also warned that Kenya’s strategic economic role in the region stood threatened by the failure to implement the reforms.

Kenya has for years been seen as Washington’s staunchest ally in the region and would immensely lose in bilateral assistance were its strategic position to wane especially with regard to programmes related to the wars on terrorism, illegal trade in drugs, human trafficking and piracy.

On Tuesday, the envoy said it was therefore upon Kenyans to see to it that the government delivered all the promises it had made to them.

Mr Ranneberger said it was for this reason that they sponsored a number of civil society and youth leaders to the US, to identify new and innovative ways to advance the reform agenda.

The delegation that included lawyer Harun Ndubi, activist Anne Njogu, Joshua Nyamori, Sylvia Wachira of the Youth Agenda will leave for Washington DC later on Tuesday, where they will spend a week engaging in high level meetings in the US Congress, Department of State and the White House.

They will engage in dialogue with key US government policy makers, that is focused on identifying new and innovative ways to advance the reform agenda, said the envoy.

“This delegation demonstrates the commitment of the US government to listen to and partner with Kenyan citizens to advance the implementation of the reform agenda and deepen partnerships between our two countries,” he said.

“What we are doing is to try and build peace and stability in the country...this is not a political exercise,” added Mr Ranneberger.