The United States government has set aside funds to facilitate dialogue between President Kenyatta and National Super Alliance (Nasa) leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking in an interview with the Standard, ambassador Robert Godec said the US is ready to meet financial costs of a national conversation between the two warring sides and other stakeholders.
The Standard reports that the initial amount set aside by US for the process is Sh60 million, although the American envoy did not confirm the actual figure.
The cash is reportedly to be used for the payment of a neutral venue for the talks and other costs including transport, food and auxiliary staff.
“We are working with Kenyan business, religious and community leaders, as well as other international partners on organising a potential National Conversation and we have funds to support it,” Godec said while confirming that there is such a kitty.
“The US is committed to a national conversation involving all Kenyans to build national unity, address long-standing issues and resolve divisions exacerbated by the 2017 electoral process,” Godec said.
Following the disputed 2007 presidential polls, a similar dialogue facilitated by the US government and African Union was held at Serena Hotel in Nairobi under the stewardship of former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. It led to the formation on grand coalition government between ODM and PNU.
Kaa ngumu Uhunye and if you…
Kaa ngumu Uhunye and if you have no balls to say no to the so called dialogue after being elected twice, please resign.
A slap in the face. What’s…
A slap in the face. What’s 6m to Kenyan politicians? We are used to amounts in “B”
There should be no dialogue…
There should be no dialogue. Elections are over. What is there to dialogue with losers?
60m to buy ‘a shithole’ to…
60m to buy ‘a shithole’ to poop on the Kenyan citizens while taking away our natural resources and dumping all manner of shit in the name of unbalanced trade
Keep your money and take the next flight home, we don’t need the USA..we know it’s your own interests you care about, not us.
The standard had an…
The standard had an interview with ambassador Godec and didn’t care to ask him anything about Trump’s profane remarks calling all Africans Shitholes?
Mr. Godec should first…
Mr. Godec should first explain to Kenyans the “Shithole” comment from his boss. Why has our President failed to demand the explanation.
Are we about to take money to destroy our constitution like Kofi Annan helped us do during Kibaki’s era.
If we take that money and destroy our constitution per instructions from foreign government, we will just confirm just like Trump said we are “Shithole” country since we have no stand of our own. Uhuru, you vow to defend our constitution. Our constitution does not allow dialogue even with money being dangled. Defend Kenya and demand dignity for Kenyans in Kenya, in the diaspora and for the black man in the world.
Let Godec explain ,”Shithole” before moving on to interfere again with our domestic issues. The issues of “Shithole” countries should first be addressed for the sake of our dignity.
Please what kind of nonsense…
Please what kind of nonsense. We have other issues like roads, healthcare, electricity, jobs to think about more than paying for venue and people to feed. We also have funding that has been cut down for HIV and other chronic illnesses like malaria. This mockery and pure slap on the face to our third world. Feeding uhuru and focusing on our democracy is nonsense. Elections are over and our Supreme Court oversaw that ruling . Let us deal with our own shit hole problems
Why not spend these funds to…
Why not spend these funds to educate Kenyans on politics if ethnicity, electrol literacy, and the dangers of blind following of politicians even when they have no positive track record.
Bad precedent when one loses an causes trouble to attract attention and America responds and throws away the tax payers dollars to appease individuals. Is this it or is there another agenda Mr. Godec? The constitution, rule of law and “democracy ” are clear on what should happen. Maybe the dollars could help on critical literacy across all counties.
The US has it’s own racial…
The US has it’s own racial war in it’s backyard. The funds would be better utilized to bridge the gap between their ethnic minorities and their white counterparts spearheaded by their president. Leave Kenya alone. We have voted and the president is in. Dialogue should have been engaged pre-elections, not post. Too late! As for Uhuru, I am personally watching him with a squint, lest he gives in to this pressure, then I will lose all manner of respect for him. There comes a time when one has to separate the boys from the men. Uhuru needs to man up, boss up, move on and get the country running! That’s what he has been elected for. Period
Why not use those $60M to…
Why not use those $60M to educate their deplorable who do not have a college degree and earn minimum wages
This reminds me the wisdom…
This reminds me the wisdom of Mr. Oduor my English teacher and discipline master. Whenever two students fought, he would bring them together in front of prefects and monitors and extract confessions and artificial apologies; never addressing the indiscipline that brought about such juvenile acts. The trouble was that such ceasefires were not binding come last day of school term. Fast forward to 2018, me thinks any such dialogue should include all stakeholders not only two political nemesis-the dialogue is about Kenya not individual differences and so should be broad based. Kenya is not dualistic; that if you are not JP, then you are nasa-far from the truth. Political parties, religious leaders, business communities, trade unions, civil societies and arms of government should all be part of the said dialogue.
The Standard should have…
The Standard should have told Godec to use his shithole money to train his juvenile shithole racist president on the diplomacy and how to act as a respectful human being without myopic racist views of billions of people who don’t look like him. Anything less would be gross interference with our internal affairs and, as several others have commented, President Uhuru would be failing in his constitutional duties if ever he accepted to dialogue with a divisive evil sore loser who wants to burn and destroy our country to fulfill self-centered greedy ambitions by hook or crook. Worst of all, Uhuru would be acting very cowardly and shamefully without any self-respect if he agreed to dialogue with a crazy man who has and continues to openly undermine his administration — and worse, if he accepts a representative of a real shithole president to facilitate such dialogue. If Godec wants to facilitate anything in our country, he must first and foremost ask his boss to apologize to the government and people of Kenya for his hateful racist views about Kenya and other African countries. Our leaders should no longer give in to nor accept derogatory racially charged shit from neo-Nazi and other White supremacist shithole leaders of modern day Sodom and Gormorah in the name of paid for dialogue or promise of foreign aid. After all, paying someone to do what one wants for his/her benefit is classical meaning of bribery!!!! Our president must not be bribed, intimidated or vowed to dialogue with a sore loser who doesn’t recognize his election or sitting in the same room with a representative of the most ignorant, racist shithole president with child-like brain.