Monday, May 27, 2024 - Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has challenged President William Ruto to clarify several matters following his State trip to the United States.
Key among Kalonzo’s demands was Kenya’s security status following its designation as a major non-NATO ally.
Kalonzo poked holes into Washington's decision to confer the status to Kenya, expressing fears that such an agreement would expose Kenya to heightened security threats.
“As a country, we are still paying the heavy price of the August 7, 1998, US Embassy bombings where 213 Kenyans lost their lives.
"Given our geographical location, Kenyans need to know the security implications of being designated a non-NATO ally,” Kalonzo quipped.
United States President Joe Biden pledged to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally on Thursday, making Kenya the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to hold the title.
A major non-NATO ally (MNNA) refers to a country not part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), yet has a deep strategic and security partnership with the US.
Further, Kalonzo questioned why the Head of State decided to charter a private jet for the U.S. trip from a company based in the UAE instead of relying on a commercial flight.
Kalonzo claimed that President Ruto's decision cost the Kenyan taxpayers Ksh200 million.
This came after the President’s statement on Sunday where he defended the decision to charter the private plane insisting it was more economical than the other suggested options.
Kalonzo also demanded to know why Ruto had moved forward with the plan to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti despite a judgment by the High Court that deemed the plan illegal and unconstitutional.
0 Comments