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PRESS
RELEASE
 U.S.
CONGRESSMEN PRAISE KIBAKI AS U.S. ALLY IN TERROR WAR AND AS CORRUPTION
FIGHTER
(WASHINGTON,
JUNE 13, 2005) Four
leading members of the U.S. Congress have sent a letter to Kenya's
President, Mwai Kibaki, noting that "Kenya is an important regional
partner of the United States and a key ally in the global war on terror."
The letter is signed by Representatives Dan Burton (R-Indiana), chairman
of the House International Relations Committee's subcommittee on the
Western Hemisphere; Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), vice chairman of the Committee's
subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia; Eliot Engel (D-New
York), vice chairman of the congressional Homeland Security Task Force;
and Edolphus Towns (D-New York), ranking member of the subcommittee
on Government Efficiency and Financial Management of the House Committee
on Government Reform.
The congressmen tell President Kibaki that they "have been pleased
by Kenya's leadership in bringing peace and stability to the East
African region, most notably by your sponsorship of peace talks to
find a settlement in Somalia after 30 years of conflict and chaos,
and by your leadership in the regional efforts to bring peace to troubled
Sudan."
Noting the longstanding partnership between the United States and
Kenya on security issues, the congressmen point out that "Kenya
was an ally of ours against terrorism even before the fateful date
of September 11, 2001, with Kenya a target of al-Qaeda operations
as well as an unwilling base for operations by al-Qaeda and other
terrorist groups. Kenya is the anchor of the East African Counter-Terrorism
Initiative."
The congressmen also note President Kibaki's efforts at rooting out
graft and corruption in Kenya's government, saying: "We have
been following news of your program to end graft and corruption in
Kenya, a situation that you inherited from your predecessor during
decades of one-party, undemocratic government. It is only natural
that, as the first East African head of state who came to office through
transparent, free, and fair elections, you would choose to pursue
this matter, which has implications beyond Kenya's borders."
In their letter, dated May 23, the four congressional leaders also
express an interest in visiting Kenya in the near future.
The text of the letter may be found at http://www.scribeus.com/pr_kenya_050523.pdf.
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