Innocent Mugabe, a Likuyani MP, believes that the United States of America influenced the August 2022 General Elections, which is why Ambassador Meg Whitman praised the polls as free and fair.
The American envoy addressed the Devolution Conference in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County on August 16, where she remarked that Kenya has had its fairest elections in history, sentiments that rubbed the opposition the wrong way.
According to Mugabe, Whitman’s remarks were in poor taste, especially coming at a time when the opposition and government are at odds, with electoral malpractice being one of the points of contention in the bipartisan talks.
“And she is aware it is going on. We have even seen a senator from her country coming in to try and address such and then you go to the podium and say the elections were free, what are you trying to tell Kenyans,” he said speaking on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show on Monday.
“We are trying to talk about this issue, it is something we are trying to address and then you come up with your conclusion meaning that we should not even have the bipartisan talks.”
According to the legislator, Whitman’s comments demonstrate that the Western powerhouse must have had a say in the 2022 polls and also sparked discussions about the contentious LGBTQ+ issues in the country.
“It goes back to us as Azimio to think that America maybe had alot of influence in this election and that is why we have seen alot of conversations on LGBTQ coming in which we suspect is coming from America,” he said.
“We’ve seen conversations on GMO foods which is making it clear that America must have influenced this particular election.”
Whitman’s comments attracted stiff ridicule from leaders allied to the opposition, the Azimio la Umoja coalition, led by its leader Raila Odinga.
In his harsh rebuttal, Raila warned Whitman to keep off Kenyan politics and if she continues to comment on Kenyan issues, then they may be forced to petition the US government to recall her.
“I want to tell the rogue ambassador, leave Kenyans alone. If maandamano can lead to dialogue between Ichung’wah and Kalonzo, everything is good with maandamano,” Odinga stated addressing the Devolution conference on August 17.
“Tell the rogue Ambassador Kenya is not the United States and it is not a colony of the United States; keep your mouth shut while here, otherwise, we will call for your recall back to your country.”
Meanwhile, leaders allied to the Kenya Kwanza coalition, the ruling coalition, have defended the American envoy and urged the opposition to be respectful and desist from threatening Ambassador Whitman.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua laughed off Odinga’s utterances reiterating that he (Odinga) is only but an ordinary citizen, and should not be hoodwinked into believing that he even wields the power to transfer a local administrator, let alone a whole envoy.
“We also need to be respectful to our development partners. you cannot speak in a public forum before national TV and say you have the capacity to recall an Ambassador of the United States accredited to this country by the American government; it is simply being mischievous,” the deputy president said during the conference on August 18.
“As a private citizen, how do you recall an Ambassador? You cannot even transfer an Assistant Chief to your local sub-location. It is part of the denial syndrome.”
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua and Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah are among other leaders who have come out to defend the American envoy.
