This man Coons: Peacemaker in Kenyan political theatre

United States Senator for Delaware, Chris Coons is not new to Kenya and his visit comes at a crucial political moment.

In 2020, Coon attended the national prayer breakfast, an event that brought together former President Uhuru Kenyatta, his then Deputy President William Ruto as well as Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

The ardent preacher, Coons, is said to have played a critical role in bringing the three together amidst the then-political unease.

And this was just one of the instances in that he played a critical role in the country’s political front.

Just days after Ruto was declared winner in August last year, Coons met Uhuru in the State House as he led a delegation of US Senate and House Representatives.

He also met Ruto and Raila, the main agenda being keeping the country peaceful.

Mutual interest

Again, Coons visited last week with the aim of holding talks with politicians and discuss matters of mutual interest including democracy, trade and security.

Similarly, he met with Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as well as Raila. “Had a great meeting this evening with US Senator Chris Coons and his delegation to discuss developments in our country.  We had a fruitful discussion on the importance of upholding the constitution and the rule of law, and agreed to keep the channels of communication open,” Raila posted on his twitter account on March 29.

On the same day, Gachagua said he hosted a delegation from the US led by Coons for consultations towards strengthening ties between the two nations, especially in trade, security, democracy, among other key issues of mutual interest.

Days after his departure from the country, both Ruto and Raila dropped their hardline stance and agreed to dialogue on major issues raised by the opposition.

It is believed he may have played a critical part in ensuring this happens.

Coons chairs the sub-committee on African Affairs at the US Senate and has been President Joe Biden’s envoy on issues touching the continent.