Something very strange is happening with the East African Republic of Kenya – a flurry of activity at a geopolitical level that saw is rise and fall from grace in mere days.
On June 24, things were looking up for the William Ruto Government, as the US White House issued for the Secretary of State a Memorandum on the Designation of Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally.
“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2321k) (the “Act”), I hereby designate Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States for the purposes of the Act and the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.).
You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.”
In the aftermath of the US troops being expelled from Niger, Kenya rose as the new key partner in the African continent.
But it wasn’t for free – this development came in tandem with long-held negotiations for Kenyan police troops to be sent to Haiti to help stabilize the hellish situation on the Caribbean Island.
So it’s not surprising that ON THE VERY NEXT DAY, June 25, the first U.N.-backed contingent of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti, nearly two years after it urgently requested help to contain a surge in gang violence.
ABC News reported:
“A couple hundred police officers from Kenya landed in the capital of Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport reopened in late May after gang violence forced it to close for nearly three months.
It wasn’t immediately known what the Kenyans’ first assignment would be, but they will face violent gangs that control 80% of Haiti’s capital and have left more than 580,000 people homeless across the country as they pillage neighborhoods in their quest to control more territory. Gangs also have killed several thousand people in recent years.”
The Kenyans’ arrival marks the fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti.
Unelected Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille thanked Kenya for its solidarity.
The U.N. Security Council had already authorized Kenya to lead the multinational police mission back in October 2023.
“President Joe Biden praised the arrival of the first contingent, saying that the mission overall “will bring much needed relief.”
‘The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe in their homes, build better lives for their families, and enjoy democratic freedoms’, he said. ‘While these goals may not be accomplished overnight, this mission provides the best chance of achieving them’.”
So far, so good – but who would have thought that ON THE SAME DAY as the peacekeepers arrived in Port-au-Prince, Kenya fell into a state of near-anarchy with the relentless protests – that initially appeared to be against a tax hike legislation – ended up causing a ‘total shutdown’ of the country, saw parliament stormed and at least five people shot dead.
Since that day a week ago, President William Ruto conceded defeat to the protesters and said he would not sign the legislation – but the situation has not improved.
Associated Press reported:
“Police fired tear gas at protesters in Nairobi as many businesses remained closed for fear of looting. The main highway to Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa, was closed as protesters lit bonfires.
In Mombasa, five vehicles were burnt by protesters outside a hotel whose owner is alleged to have shot at protesters who were looting.
While there are concerns that President William Ruto might change his mind and sign the finance bill before next week’s deadline, some protesters are also calling on Ruto to resign and accusing him of bad governance.”
There you go: from Major US ally to the brink of conflict in mere days.
The government says that “criminals” were taking advantage of planned protests to “commit arson” and “terrorize” Kenyans.
“The president has offered to have dialogue with Kenyan youth and has promised budget cuts on travel and hospitality for his office in line with some protesters’ demands. As unemployment remains high and prices rise, there has been outrage over the luxurious lives of the president and other senior officials.”
But members of the protest movement do not trust the president to implement his new austerity plans.
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