‘Twisted and Misunderstood’: Meg Whitman Sets Record Straight on Kenya’s 2022 Polls
In a reflective interview following her resignation as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman clarified remarks that placed her at the heart of political discourse during her tenure.
Her initial statement on the 2022 Kenyan presidential election being the “freest, fairest, and most credible” sparked significant backlash, particularly from opposition leader Raila Odinga, who called her a “rogue ambassador.” Whitman insists her words were misunderstood.
“I didn’t say I thought that. I said it was ‘international observers,’” she explained, distancing herself from the interpretation that her comment was a personal endorsement of the election process.
Whitman, who assumed her post days before Kenya’s tightly contested elections, reflected on her tenure, which saw her balancing diplomatic engagement with controversies over human rights and governance.
Addressing accusations of being too aligned with President William Ruto’s administration, she defended her approach: “My job is to work with duly elected leaders. I have worked with President Ruto, his Cabinet, and governors across 28 counties. This job required building relationships, not alienating leadership.”
Her tenure wasn’t without achievements. She highlighted improvements in visa processing times—cutting wait times for non-immigrant visas from two years to two months—and lauded American investments like Coca-Cola’s $175 million bottling plant and Microsoft’s green data center initiative in Naivasha.
However, Whitman faced criticism for her perceived silence during the Gen Z protests, which decried human rights abuses. She countered, “No embassy has done more than we have. We’ve issued statements, had high-level engagements, and addressed police accountability at universities.”
On corruption, a recurring concern for investors, Whitman was blunt: “It’s a big challenge for Kenya. American companies must adhere to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and corruption creates barriers to foreign investment.”
As she departs, Whitman acknowledges that U.S.-Kenya trade negotiations may slow under a new U.S. administration, but she remains optimistic about Kenya’s potential. “Kenya has unique opportunities; its young, vibrant population is a game-changer,” she concluded, leaving a nuanced legacy of diplomacy, business, and controversy.
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‘Twisted and Misunderstood’: Meg Whitman Sets Record Straight on Kenya’s 2022 Polls
