NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 9 – State House on Thursday reacted to US cables released by WikiLeaks which named President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister as part of an elitist group of Kenyans who were against reforms.
A statement from the Presidential Press Service said President Kibaki\’s record on reforms is impressive, particularly after leading Kenyans through the process of achieving the new Constitution.
“We wish to state that President Kibaki’s record on reforms through out his career speaks for itself. The Kenyan people have enjoyed unprecedented political, economic and social freedoms during his tenure in office,” the statement read.
State House singled out the promulgation of the new Constitution which reflected the commitment of President Kibaki’s government to give Kenyans hope of a brighter future.
Following the accusations over his reluctance to implement the reform agenda, the President urged Kenyans to ignore the WikiLeaks dossier and carry on with the implementation of the new Constitution and other reforms.
“The Kenyan people must not be distracted from the path of transforming our country, especially at this moment when we are focused on implementing the Constitution. That task will be undertaken by the Kenyan people with total support and leadership from their Government,” he said.
According to a US cable released by WikiLeaks on Thursday morning, US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger in January this year reported that the "old guard" at the highest levels of the political elite was hindering the reform progress.
"While some positive reform steps have been taken, the old guard associated with the culture of impunity continues to resist fundamental change," he wrote in the cable, revealed in Britain\’s Guardian newspaper.
"Most key reforms are yet to be carried out, and the future of the constitutional review process is uncertain."
The ambassador fronted President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga for being part of the group which was resistant to the reform agenda.
"Most of the political and economic elite (to greater and lesser extents) compose the vested interests that benefit from and support impunity and the lack of accountability with respect to governance, state resources, and the rule of law," he wrote.
Mr Ranneberger also said that most members of the cabinet were also a hindrance to the reform agenda in the country.
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