KISUMU, Kenya, Aug 30 – The US Government is impressed by Kenyans for holding peaceful elections on August 9 as it affirms its neutrality.
The US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman stated that the process has so far been peaceful.
“We are incredibly impressed by the Kenyan process so far,” said Whitman.
Whitman who made her first tour outside Nairobi to visit US Embassy staff heading critical US programs and investments in the lakeside city of Kisumu says the US in all the countries with its presence has not interfered with the host’s elections.
“The election in Kenya has been peaceful and the US has been following the process,” she said.
Whitman says neutrality implies that they don’t dictate the outcome of the country’s election but only remains as an observer.
Fielding questions from journalists on Tuesday when she paid a courtesy call on Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o, the ambassador says the option of seeking legal redress by the loser is a commendable step towards democracy.
“The filing of a case to address the grievances at the Supreme Court has been peaceful,” she noted.
Whitman asked Kenyans to patiently wait for the outcome of the Supreme Court due next month on 5th.
She defended the travel advisory to Kisumu that was issued by the Embassy before the election.
“What we do is to look into the safety and security of Embassy personnel as well as US citizens in any country where the US operates,” she said.
The ambassador r says the advisory did not target Kisumu specifically but was issued in the best interest of US citizens and investments.
Whitman further touched on the thorny issue of Visa application promising to deal with the backlog.
“One of my top priorities is to reduce the Visa backlog that faces Kenyan citizens seeking Visas for any kind to get into the United States,” she said.
She says the backlog was necessitated by COVID-19 pandemic, forcing workers to stay away from work places.
Whitman says she has a dedicated team in the Embassy who will reverse the situation noting that it is unfortunate to frustrate students who are planning to learn in the US.
“We have families who intend to seek medical services in the US, I promise them that there will be no further frustrations,” she said.
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