Kalonzo in US to spruce up Kenya's image

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has opened a public relations offensive aimed at repairing the Kenya's damaged reputation in the United States.

Related Stories

• Somalia govt readies troops for al Shabaab assault

“I am here to give you good news,” Mr Musyoka told an audience in Washington on Wednesday. Kenya has made “tremendous progress” toward stability and reconciliation following the outburst of violence in early 2008, he said.

“The mood in Kenya now is 'never again,'” the vice president added in an address at the nongovernmental New America Foundation. “I want to give you my pledge that Kenyans will never again accept to be divided by tribes.”

Mr Musyoka's five-day visit to the United States is being coordinated by CLS & Associates, the high-powered Washington lobbying firm retained last year by the Kenyan government. CLS has helped arrange private meetings with State Department officials and members of the US House of Representatives.

The vice president is accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende. Peter Ogego, Kenya's ambassador to the United States, also spoke briefly at Tuesday's session.

In his own comments, Mr Musyoka did not specifically respond to the Obama administration's criticisms over what it says is the slow pace of reform in Kenya and the government's failure to hold accountable those responsible for the post-election mayhem.

Instead, the vice president offered a resolutely positive review of the Kibaki-Odinga administration's performance in recent months. The proposed new Constitution will bring about “tremendous improvement” in Kenyan society, Mr Musyoka predicted.

The vice president spoke only secondarily on what was the ostensible topic of his talk: Kenya's view of the security threat posed by Somalia's Islamist militants.

He did urge deeper US involvement, suggesting the Obama administration should pay as much attention to Somalia as it does to Afghanistan.

But most of the steps suggested by Mr Musyoka – information sharing, financial support for the African Union military mission in Somalia, humanitarian relief, training of Somalia's security forces – are already being taken by the United States.

Mr Musyoka pointed to the massive US relief operation launched in response to the earthquake in Haiti. He suggested that something on a similar scale should be undertaken to aid displaced and hungry Somalis.