The US Federal Bureau of Investigations director Robert Mueller on Thursday made a one-day visit to the country where he discussed anti-corruption issues with the Kenyan government officials while talking about the strategic relations of Kenya and Somalia.
Mr Mueller met Prime Minister Raila Odinga in morning where they discussed steps that the US and Kenya can take to fight public corruption.
Speaking at the America’s ambassador residence in Nairobi, Mr Mueller said that they also discussed the “unhealthy culture of impunity” in the country. He added that state agencies must increase their efforts, as impunity had to be dealt with if the country is to win the war against graft.
“Public corruption should be a priority for all investigation and prosecution agencies in the country,” Mr Muller said.He noted that collaboration between various Kenyan and US investigative bodies was also very vital in the fight against corruption as well as terrorism.
Mr Muller had stopped over in the country after visiting Pakistan on Wednesday over a terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team early this week.
Kenya, sandwiched between the chaotic Horn of Africa and turbulent Great Lakes region, was the target of Al Qaeda-linked extremists who blew up the U.S. embassies in Kenya and in Tanzania in 1998 and U.S. officials fear neighbouring Somalia could become a haven for other Islamic radicals.
The FBI has rated Kenya as one of the severe potential terror targets due to its proximity to Somalia, which is home to the Al Shabaab – a terror group, linked to Al-Qaeda. Kenyan authorities have acknowledged the alert for possible terrorist attacks and intensified security at airports and borders.
Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist cells carried out near-simultaneous bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998, killing 224 people and injured some 5,000. In November 2002, other Al-Qaeda-linked militants bombed an Israeli-owned resort hotel near Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, where 15 civilians were killed.
Although the US is playing a stability plan in and around countries sorrounding Kenya, Innocent Kenyan Muslims have sometime borne the brunt of Government and FBI agencies over alledged conspiracies, which the US government denies. A case in example is the return of many Kenyan Muslims from the rendition "saga" instituted over the war on terror cover.
Mr Muller said that since Somalia has a new president, it was America’s hope that this would stabilise the country and restore peace in the horn of Africa country. He said that the president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed would device new ways of dealing with insurgents in Somalia and ensure stability in the country. It is hoped those in Somalia will listen to the cries of people of the world to stabilize their country.
Somalia lies strategically on the major shipping routes of the world which covers countries in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea with Africa and Arab Countries just around.
“It is too soon to tell but we are hopeful that the governance structures been put in place will help bring down the threats,” said Mr Muller.
US has a new president with a new diplomatic foreign policy that needs to be utilized properly for mutual benefit.
