Raisi’s Kenya Visit Overshadowed by Criticism and Protests

Iranwire – Iranian’s President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Africa kicked off amid utter confusion last week when his arrival at his first destination, Kenya, was overshadowed by protests over the high cost of living.

On July 11, as the media descended on Kenya’s State House for a briefing on Raisi’s visit to the East African state, Hussein Mohamed, State House spokesperson, said that Raisi’s visit had been postponed. No compelling justification was given so the news confused all concerned.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Alfred Mutua, later issued a statement that only added to the confusion. Mutua said Raisi would only arrive in Kenya July 12 – the next day – and would proceed to meet Kenyan President William Ruto at the State House in Nairobi.

Wednesdays have become protest day in Kenya, however, as the cost of living demonstrations, loosing translated from the Swahili word “maandamano,” are held each week under the hashtag “maandamanoWednesdays. Raisi’s bilateral talks with the Kenyan president were thus overshadowed that morning by the protests. Thousands of people joined the protests on July 12, which saw widespread looting and turned violent, with nine people were killed and more than 300 arrested.

Raisi during his meeting with President Ruto pledged Iran’s support for Kenya’s efforts in manufacturing, health, and the blue economy, making sustainable use of ocean-based resources through research and technology, he said, according to State House Kenya, which reported on the bilateral meeting between the two presidents.

Social media was meanwhile used by some Kenyans to denounce Raisi’s visit, with one Twitter user, @mwabilimwagodi , arguing that it was improper for President Ruto to entertain his Iranian counterpart.

If President Ruto continues down this path of posturing as an African leader, waging war against the dollar and hosting nations like Iran in Kenya. With the unrest unfolding in Kenya due to the high cost of living, rogue elements from the West might soon take advantage.— TL Elder (@mwabilimwagodi) July 12, 2023

Another Twitter user, @NjiruAdv, warned that the Kenyan President should choose wisely his foreign political allies.

Nabii Ruto must choose his FOREIGN allies wisely mara he is courting the US, mara he is with RUSSIA…Sijui CHINA… mara IMF ni baya..sijui WORLD BANK is not friendly to Kenya….now he is courting IRAN…does RUTO understand the implications of DINNING with IRAN…— Ndegwa Njiru Adv. (@NjiruAdv) July 12, 2023

Kenya has been praised by various United Nations agencies for making important strides in advancing gender equality, enacting laws on domestic violence, sexual offenses, the establishment of affirmative funds for women-led businesses and increasing representation of women in public and elective office.

IranWire readers know the same cannot be said for Iran’s government – and as a result Kenyan human rights activists did not appreciate Raisi’s visit to the country as his regime.

Anika JD, a Pan-African feminist and social scientist, claims that Raisi’s visit to Kenya undercuts efforts to ensure that women’s rights prevail in Africa and worldwide. Anika told IranWire that Raisi’s visit left the country in a difficult political position because his Kenyan counterpart had neglected women’s issues to appease Raisi and had look for ways to boost trade between the two nations as a way to address the cost of living crisis.

“Kenya is in a very tight political spot, a very tight economical spot, where people are complaining about issues of higher cost of living,” Anika told IranWire. “What is important today for the Kenyan President is finding ways of turning the tide around, and that includes increasing trade and increased taxes to cater to the debt gap and decentralizing resources to the cadres of the populace.”

“Kenya has been on the frontline in Africa to champion women’s rights,” she added, “but these are some of the side effects or consequences of not having enough representation of women at the top. I think Kenya’s priorities at the moment do not include championing women’s rights, but turning the economy around, and the women’s agenda is not as mainstream and at the forefront of this administration’s immediate needs or priorities.”

Raisi’s three-day trip also saw him visit Uganda and Zimbabwe. The tour – followed by controversy and backlash along the way – was the first by an Iranian president for 11 years.