Kenyan politicians accuse West of meddling
Citizens of the African nation are dissatisfied with imperialist attitudes of the West, officials told RT
Western nations have always maintained hegemonic control in Kenyan politics, Miguna Miguna, a former presidential adviser, has said, supporting Moscow’s recent claim of interference in Nairobi's internal affairs.
Speaking to RT on Friday, Miguna said that even after independence, Western powers continued to impose their interests on the East African nation, as they do in other parts of the continent.
“The West has always interfered in Kenya’s internal affairs for the last 60 years,” he said. “They imposed the first president, and they imposed the second president. Like many African countries, they have orchestrated the assassinations of leading Kenyan visionaries and undermined others.”
The Kenyan politician was responding to a joint statement issued by the diplomatic corps of 13 foreign countries in Nairobi, which expressed concern about the “high levels of violence” during recent anti-government protests.
Demonstrations in Kenya against rising living costs and tax hikes have been characterized by scenes of violence, resulting in fatalities and more than 300 arrests.
Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, called for a three-day protest this week, which began on Wednesday with reports of clashes between police and stone-throwing demonstrators in Nairobi and elsewhere in the country.
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At least 15 people were shot and killed in last week’s actions, and many others were injured – including 53 children – after tear gas was thrown inside their school compound, according to local media.
On Tuesday, ambassadors from 13 Western countries in the East African country called for dialogue between the government and the opposition, saying they recognize the daily hardships that Kenyans face.
Russia’s embassy in Nairobi responded by dismissing their concerns as interference in Kenya’s internal affairs.
Speaking to RT, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kenya Sefu Sanni said the people of the East African country are fed up with foreign nations like the US dictating to their government. The interference goes further than the current unrest, she said, and includes cultural issues like Western pressure to sign an LGBTQ human rights law.
This meddling, Sanni insisted, clearly demonstrated “imperialism” and “neocolonialism.”