Opposition leaders decline to name person in Obama’s criticism

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has dismissed claims that US President Barack Obama criticised them for seeking his intervention on the challenges facing the country.

Addressing the media on Monday, the leaders said their meeting with Obama was friendly, noting that most of the issues they were to raise in the meeting had already been addressed in his speech at Kasarani.

Speaking to civil society after meeting CORD leaders on Sunday, Obama stated that one of the opposition leaders had asked him to put pressure on the government on certain critical issues yet he had opposed US intervention when he was in government.

“I had to say to them, I remember when you were in government, you kept on saying, why are you trying to interfere with Kenyan business? You should mind your own business,” he said.

“So, everybody wants the United States to be involved when they are not in power and when they are in power, they want the United States to mind their own business.”

The CORD leaders, who included ODM leader Raila Odinga, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula and Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper Movement, together with Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, however refused to reveal who President Obama was referring to in his remarks, instead focusing on the content of the meeting.

The opposition leaders added that in their memorandum to the US president, they requested Obama to impress on the Jubilee Government to improve the fight against corruption, implement electoral reforms, the gender rule among others.

In 2009, Ford Kenya leader and CORD co-principal Moses Wetangula lashed out at Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and former American Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger over their calls for total reforms in the country.

“The meddlesome attitude that we are seeing from our friends, the Americans…It is with regret that an assistant minister of a friendly country walks into our country uninvited, makes fairly unacceptable and reckless statements then leaves,” Wetangula had said.

“Diplomacy expects some certain minimum acceptable standards of behavior,” he added.

Wikileaks revelations

CORD leader Raila Odinga had reportedly criticised Ranneberger after Wikileaks made public secret information containing the ambassador’s assessment of the government and several leaders.

Odinga said the revelations were “basically gossip between diplomats and their masters back home.”

During her time as Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister in 2008, Martha Karua was quoted telling foreign diplomats to stop threatening Kenya’s sovereignty, after the then British High Commissioner Adam Wood said his government did not recognise the Kibaki Administration.

“And as for the diplomats threatening us, I will remind them we are not a colony and I certainly don’t think my team will take pressure or dictation from any other country,” she had said.

“They are just junior officers in the pecking order and unless they are delivering a concrete message from their governments not their thoughts, what they say is totally irrelevant.”

Kalonzo is also on record saying, “Kenya deserves respect not just from Kenyans but also foreigners”.

The meeting between CORD leaders and President Obama was held at Kenyatta University moments after the US President’s address at Kasarani.