An influential US think tank is urging the Obama administration to take steps to ensure Kenya’s elections are peaceful and fair.
In a “contingency planning memorandum” published on Thursday, the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations warns of the threat of violence in connection with the March voting and suggests that US actions could “significantly improve the prospects for acceptable elections and help avert a major crisis.”
The council’s memo, written by Kenya politics expert Prof Joel Barkan, specifically calls on the Obama administration to “bring together like-minded states to push the Kenyan government to make adequate preparations for credible elections”.
The UK and European Union are mentioned as potential partners of the US in such a coalition.
The memo adds that pressure on the Kenyan government could include a direct message from President Barack Obama.
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