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.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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