Biden Pledges Stronger Kenya Ties, Joe Biden in 3 day Kenya visit..Kenya Asks US To Lead Int'l Effort In Somalia‎

Associated Press

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, center, walks flanked by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, right, and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, left, at State House Nairobi , Kenya, Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Kenya's president asked the United States on Tuesday to lead a greater international effort to stabilize neighboring Somalia, while visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said the U.S. is committed to helping Kenya see regional stability.

Kenya Asks US To Lead Int'l Effort In Somalia‎ 

Joe Biden in 3 day Kenya visit
NAIROBI, Kenya — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden held out the potential for more investment in Kenya, a critical ally whose help has been sought stabilizing a troubled East African region that includes neighboring Somalia.
The remarks, on Tuesday during a brief trip to the region, represent a softening of U.S. criticism. U.S. officials in the past have chided Kenya for what's perceived as a halting anti-corruption drive and the slow pace of promised constitutional change. Washington has even imposed a travel ban on Kenya's attorney general, who is seen as blocking promised changes.

AFP/Getty Image U.S. Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands with Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga as President Mwai Kibaki looks on in Nairobi.

Associated Press

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, center, is greeted by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, right, at State House, Nairobi , Kenya Tuesday June 8, 2010. Kenya's president asked the United States on Tuesday to lead a greater international effort to stabilize neighboring Somalia, while visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said the U.S. is committed to helping Kenya see regional stability.

But during his visit, Mr. Biden offered more carrot than stick, promising more business and a robust partnership between the two countries. "As Kenya moves forward so too will the United States in strengthening our relationships with you, both economically and politically," he said, adding that he was "more optimistic than I have been" that promised political changes would take place.

by The Associated Press

Mr. Biden's visit comes as Washington is relying on help from East African allies in dealing with nearby Somalia, which has become a magnet for al Qaeda-backed militants. U.S. officials believe that al Shabaab, a militant group allied with al Qaeda, is attempting to establish a base for a broader terror network. On Saturday, two U.S. citizens were arrested at JFK International Airport in New York and charged with planning to fly to Somalia to fight with al Shabaab in the hopes of killing Americans.
Mr. Kibaki said that he had asked the U.S. to take more of a lead on helping to stabilize the region. "We have asked the U.S. government to provide leadership to forge a concerted international effort to stabilize Somalia," he said, although he didn't provide details. The international community, including the U.S., has invested heavily in the current Somali government, which it believes is the best hope for national stability.
Kenya has helped to train some Somali troops, and has tried several Somali pirates arrested in international waters. Mr. Biden said that the U.S. would continue to support Kenya's efforts in their "shared challenges" in the region. He plans to deliver a speech on Wednesday elaborating on ties before traveling to South Africa to attend the opening of the World Cup.
The U.S. relationship with Kenya has been contentious at times. Since ethnic violence erupted in the 2007 elections, Kenya has come under pressure from the U.S. to make changes that would defuse tensions. Among the changes the U.S. says are needed: eliminating corruption in the police force, improving accountability in the justice system and creating a new constitution that offers more checks on executive power.
Over the past year, Kenya's president has replaced the police commissioner and a new draft constitution will be ready for a national referendum in August.
Yet deep fissures remain in the Kenyan government following the violence-marred elections in 2007. More than 1,300 were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in the clashes, which sprang up along tribal lines. A power-sharing deal was cobbled together to end the violence, but the union is awkward at best and at times acrimonious.
On Tuesday, Mr. Biden met with both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. They gathered with other top U.S. and Kenyan officials around a large wooden table at Kenya's white-pillared presidential palace. Before discussion began, Mr. Biden quipped: "As I told my staff, everything is settled." The joke drew laughs from around the tabl

Associated Press

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden pay their respects as they visit the August 7th Memorial Park in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday June 8, 2010, after laying a wreath in memory of those who died in the August 7 1998 American Embassy bombing. Kenya's president asked the United States on Tuesday to lead a greater international effort to stabilize neighboring Somalia, while visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said the U.S. is committed to helping Kenya see regional stability.