Clinton urges African ally to ensure fair vote

KENYA: US secretary of state Hillary Clinton pressed Kenya’s leaders on the importance of fair and free elections yesterday, urging the east African nation to be a “model for the entire world”.

Clinton said they should try to avoid a repeat of the 2007 presidential election – which sparked widespread violence – during next year’s vote.

After meeting the chief justice of the Supreme Court in Nairobi, Clinton said the US would assist Kenya to ensure “the upcoming elections are free, fair and transparent”. She added: “We urge that the nation come together and prepare for elections that will be a real model for the entire world.”

She also intends to meet members of Somalia’s transitional government and regional leaders as they prepare to hold elections next year. Clinton arrived in the Kenyan capital from Uganda yesterday on the fourth leg of an 11-day tour of Africa. The trip began in Senegal and will take her next to Malawi and South Africa.