US senator meet Kenyan leaders amid election dispute

By Andrew Wasike

​​​​​​​NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - US senator Chris Coons met separately Thursday with Kenya’s President-elect William Ruto, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta amid uncertainty about recent election results.

Coons, who is on a five-nation tour of Africa, met Odinga who challenged the Aug. 9 elections in which he lost to the deputy president.

“We held candid discussions on developments around our general election and bilateral relations with the Congressional delegation of the US Senate and House of Representatives. We reiterated our commitment to pursuing legal means to resolve issues around the election results,” Odinga wrote in a tweet. He has said that he is going to challenge the results in court.

Coons later met Ruto, who said talks centered on the elections and ties that would benefit both countries.

”The talks touched on the just concluded elections in the country and areas of cooperation between Kenya and United States. We commit to deepen relations and further partnership for the mutual benefit of the citizens of the two countries,” he tweeted.

Later, Coons commended Kenyatta, who made his first public appearance since the elections, for his leadership. “We are encouraged by the peace Kenya has continued to experience during this period,” he said.

Kenyatta said “the process of transition will be smooth” and his greatest desire is for peace to prevail.

Coons’ trip comes days after Ruto was declared Monday the winner of the elections amid a dispute.

Odinga, who was also hoping to take the mantle from Kenyatta, is headed to the Supreme Court to challenge the results.

Lawyer and political analyst George Kithi told Anadolu Agency that the possibility of a brokered power-sharing deal cannot be ruled out but right now all eyes are on the Supreme Court that will decide where to uphold Ruto’s win or call a new election.

“I think because it was done before, probably it can be done now,” he said.

Coons was among those who urged Kenyatta and Odinga to talk in 2017 following an election that was marred with irregularities.

Ruto, 55, was declared the fifth president of the East African nation after Ruto, 55, securing 7,176,141 votes. Odinga received 6,942,930 votes.