Kenya - US

US criticises Kenya hours before Clinton visit

Article published on the 2009-08-04 Latest update 2009-08-11 15:43 TU

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
(Photo: Reuters)

The United States today criticised Kenya for failing to form a special court to try suspects in the 2007 election violence. The US embassy in Nairobi issued a statement hours before a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as she begins a seven-nation tour of Africa.

The government last week said it would reform the police and the judiciary and amend the law establishing a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation panel.

The US said this decision appeared to show that Kenya would not establish an independent tribunal to hold perpetrators of the post-election violence accountable.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Kenya should not be told what reforms to undertake. "We need more lectures on how we are going to trade with the rest of the world than how we are going to govern ourselves," he told participants at a trade forum in Nairobi.

Human rights groups are concerned that civil liberties will be left by the wayside. "We would like her to stress to the Kenyan government how important it is that they provide proper and meaningful justice and accountability for the crimes and deaths that happened after the post-election violence," Human Rights Watch Africa Director Georgette Gagnon told RFI.

"This failure threatens to undermine its stability and impede its economic development. Kenyans are really losing faith in their politicians," said Gagnon.

Clinton is expected to address the forum of some 40 nations covered by the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Agoa is a US law giving market access to sub-Saharan nations committed to democracy and free markets.

She will be accompanied by top US trade diplomat, Ron Kirk during the first leg of her trip in Kenya to discuss economic issues.

Former UN chief Kofi Annan, who brokered an end to Kenya's violence, gave the names of key suspects to the International Criminal Court last month after Kenya failed to set up the tribunal. Top government officials are believed to be among the suspects.

Clinton will also meet with Somali President, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed on political issues in Nairobi.

This trip has been pegged as a greater effort to forge better ties with the continent.