KENYA: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told a fonference in Nairobi that the Kenyan people deserve more political progress

Record ID: 360862

  • Title: KENYA: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told a fonference in Nairobi that the Kenyan people deserve more political progress
  • Date: 6th August 2009
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (AUGUST 5, 2009) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON WALKING TO PODIUM WITH KENYAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOSES WETANGULA (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SAYING: "The United States worked hard last year with Kofi Annan and the team of African eminent persons to support the Kenyan people to
  • Embargoed: 21st August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVABBPBH46KGA2NVX1X7MZAE2B7I
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday (August 5) that the Kenyan people deserved more political progress.
    "The United States worked hard last year with Kofi Annan and the team of African eminent persons to support the Kenyan people to resolve the crisis that afflicted this country. Unfortunately resolving that crisis has not yet translated into the kind of political progress that the Kenyan people deserve. Instead the absence of strong and effective democratic institutions has permitted ongoing corruption, impunity, politically motivated violence, human rights abuses and a lack of respect for the rule of law. These conditions helped fuel the post election violence and they are continuing to hold Kenya back," she told delegates at the the 8th Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation (AGOA) forum in Nairobi.
    U.S. President Barack Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, said in a speech in Ghana last month that Western aid must be matched by good governance and African leaders had to do more to end war, disease and stamp out graft.
    Kenya, east Africa's biggest economy, was ranked by Transparency International last month as the region's most graft-prone nation with a bribe expected or solicited in nearly half of all transactions.
    Washington is looking at ways to boost trade with the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for little more than 1 percent of U.S. exports and only 3 percent of imports.
    The U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act is due to expire in 2015, and some African countries would like that extended as the deadline causes uncertainty among potential investors.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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