Morocco interested in Kenya’s cancelled presidential election

On Friday September the 1st, the Supreme Court of Kenya declared the August 8th presidential elections invalid and ordered a new poll within the next 60 days.

A setback for both the verdict of the «the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)» and the delegation of international observers, led by John Kerry, proclaimed the defeat of Raila Odingo, a Kenyan politician who served as the 2nd Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013 and leader of the opposition since 2013.

For Morocco, the Kenyan court’s decision was well received. No official communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been made public, the thing that remains highly significant.

This is easily noticed through the way media has dealt with the cancellation of the presidential election. Medi 1 TV, invited one of its analysts to break down the news and explain the situation. On the other hand, 2M dedicated a reportage for the same event during its French-Language evening news.

Odinga supports Morocco on the Sahara conflict

Kenya’s interior political problems are not as surprising as they seem. Raila Odinga might win during the next presidential election which will be perceived as good news by the Kingdom.

Indeed, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (created in March 2006 by Odinga) is known for his positions in favor of the Moroccan Sahara. In March 2015, he took the lead of a Kenyan delegation, made up of politicians and economic decision-makers, who took part in the Crans Montana Forum in Dakhla. A presence marked by his important speech on strengthening the links between the countries of the Maghreb and those of sub-Saharan Africa.

On the other hand the current president Uhuru Kenyatta chose to support the Algerian part. During the first year of his term, he had extended his arms to the Polisario and i sponsor, authorizing in 2014 the opening of an «embassy» in Nairobi for the separatist movement.

This alignment was accentuated in the run-up to the election of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Strongly supported by Algiers, Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed visited Tindouf camps and proclaimed her country's support to the friends of Brahim Ghali. Fortunately for the kingdom, the outcome of the battle for the succession of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma turned, last January 31, in favor of the Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat.