Partisan politics will muddy Kenya's anti-graft probe

Significance

President Uhuru Kenyatta used his State of the Nation address on March 26 to demand that officials under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) step down from office for 60 days. The EACC report is said to relate to past allegations from the Anglo-Leasing corruption scandal, which tarnished the former Mwai Kibaki administration. Kenyatta appears to be leveraging the aftermath of the collapse of his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to improve his government's image, albeit potentially for partisan ends.

Impacts

• The US president's first planned trip to Kenya in July will boost the international image of Kenyatta's government, after previous snubs.
• Obama may mention climate change, as the issue is growing in importance to the White House as he nears the end of his term.
• However, US geopolitical interest in Africa will wax and wane, depending on the capacity of senior leaders.