US Elections 2024: Implications of Kamala Harris victory for Kenya and Africa
US vice president Kamala Harris is competing against former president Donald Trump in the race for the presidency, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
This comes as the 2024 US presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most competitive, with the strongest candidates leading the race.
However, this article will focus on the implications of Harris winning the election and how her victory could impact Kenya as a nation.
What does Kamala Harris win mean for Kenya?
Political analyst and lawyer Philip Mwangale told TUKO.co.ke that Harris’ victory would maintain the status quo.
Since Joe Biden is a member of the Democratic Party, Harris winning the election would ensure the Democrats remain the ruling party in the United States.
Mwangale asserted that this could mean that the bilateral agreements between Kenya and the US established by Harris’s predecessor and President William Ruto will remain intact.
The political analysts affirmed that maintaining bilateral agreements between Kenya and the US means the country will continue to be alienated from its neighbouring African countries due to Ruto’s ties with the West.
Mwangale also remarked that Harris lacks defined foreign policy perspectives, allowing certain state actors and US interests abroad, especially in Africa and the Middle East, to act without restriction.
“The interference in affairs of states, especially Africa and the Middle East, will be more prominent. She has not concrete foreign policy views of her own,” he affirmed.
The political analyst stated that this will have a ripple effect, as further incursions in the Middle East could restrict Kenya’s fuel channels.
Polls have indicated a tight race in states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, further emphasising the importance of voter turnout.
Trump has secured significant financial backing, while Biden’s endorsement has strengthened Harris’s big in this closely contested American election.
