US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone call Wednesday with Kenyan President William Ruto welcomed his efforts to calm deadly unrest but urged restraint and investigations into alleged abuses.
Blinken “thanked President Ruto for taking steps to reduce tensions and pledging to engage in dialogue with the protestors and civil society,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Ruto said Wednesday he was withdrawing a bill containing tax hikes that triggered massive protests in which more than 20 people were killed the day before, with demonstrators ransacking parliament.
Blinken “underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into allegations of human rights abuses,” Miller said in a statement.
Blinken also offered US support as Kenyans “work to address their economic challenges.”
Kenya is a key African partner of the United States, with Ruto last month invited for a rare state visit in which President Joe Biden saluted his commitment to democracy.
Kenya this week sent forces to Haiti to lead a mission to bring stability to the violence-ravaged country, a major goal of the United States which did not want to send its own troops.