Obama keen to see Kenya hold free, fair and peaceful polls come 2017

Obama gives final address to UN General Assembly as US President/DPPS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 21 — A month after US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the 2017 General Elections with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House Nairobi, US President Barack Obama followed it up with a phone call.

But it was just one among several subjects discussed when President Obama called President Kenyatta on Tuesday.

And according to State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, “President Kenyatta made clear that he was keen to see a peaceful, open and fair process leading to a credible election.”

Understandably, the two Heads of State also discussed Kenya’s decision to close two of the largest refugee camps in the world, Dadaab and Kakuma, in light of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants.

READ: World indifferent as developing nations burdened by refugee crisis – DP Ruto

“President Kenyatta assured President Obama that Kenya continues to work towards the safe and dignified repatriation of refugees from the Dadaab camp in northern Kenya to Somalia, in accordance with the norms of the international community,” Esipisu reported.

Inevitably, they also discussed the situation in Somalia with Esipisu reporting that President Obama, “encouraged President Kenyatta to maintain that leadership role.”

The two leaders reportedly also discussed the role Kenya has played on the climate change front and efforts made to improve the business environment in the country, a year since President Obama attended the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi; the first in Africa.

READ: Just a glimpse, President Obama

“President Obama praised Kenya for strides it has taken towards improving the business environment, noting a jump of 28 places in the ease of doing business report by the World Bank.

“The two leaders also discussed climate change and, especially, Kenya’s leadership in the run-up to the Climate Change conference in Paris (COP 21) last year and the implementation of that agreement, which is one of the key issues under discussion at the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly),” Esipisu reported.

President Kenyatta was initially meant to attend UNGA but at the last minute sent his Deputy William Ruto in his stead.

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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