Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has revealed that he has written to US Senator Jim Risch to clarify Kenya’s stance in the wake of President William Ruto’s recent state visit to China.
This comes as he affirmed Kenya’s
position that it is a sovereign state and has the right to choose its friends
and determine with whom it associates.
Speaking during a TV interview on
Tuesday, Mudavadi emphasized that when Kenya engages or holds talks with any
country, it should not be taken out of context.
“I have formally written to the
senator explaining Kenya’s position and getting him to appreciate the context
in which the statement he is alluding to was made,” he said.
In his letter, Mudavadi said he also
extended an invitation to the senator to visit Kenya “if he pleases” to have a
more detailed conversation.
He stated that the sentiments
expressed by the senator do not imply strained relations between Kenya and the
US, suggesting that this was a personal view.
During his visit to China last
month, President Ruto had an opportunity to address students at Peking
University, where he stated that Kenya and China were the "co-architects
of a new world order".
This was interpreted by some as a
signal of geopolitical shifts toward new superpowers like China.
According to the Republican senator,
the statement was not only an alignment with China but also demonstrated
allegiance to Beijing.
“Relying on leaders who embrace
Beijing so openly is an error. It’s time to reassess our relationship with
Kenya and others who forge tight bonds with China,” said Risch.
He added that it was time to
reassess their relationship with Kenya and others who maintain close ties with
China.
The PCS, who also doubles as Foreign
Affairs Cabinet Secretary, clarified that regardless of Kenya's size or status,
“there is one thing that we must always safeguard — the sovereignty of our
nation”.
“It is a principle that we must
always uphold,” he said.
