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United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed has full faith in President William Ruto’s leadership, Stephane Dujarric, the UN SG’s spokesperson has said.
According to Dujarric, the leaked conversation does not in any way reflect the views and opinions of the deputy secretary.
“The Deputy Secretary-General has full confidence and respect for the leadership of President William Ruto,” he said in a statement through UN’s Information Centre in Nairobi.
The leaked documents are said to be classified files from the US military, which allegedly obtained details of a conversation between the two UN leaders.
A report by BBC about the files reveals candid conversations between the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his deputy, in which Mohammed described Ruto as “ruthless” and told her boss that she “does not trust him.”
The US Justice Department is currently looking into the origins of the documents, which not only reveal intelligence on the ongoing war in Ukraine but also expose the US methods of espionage.
Dujjaric avers, “There was a horrendous distortion of comments attributed to the Deputy Secretary-General that was taken out of context regarding Kenya, that in no way reflect her views or her opinion.”
He has at the same time disclosed that the official will be visiting Kenya later this month maintaining this is not related to the leaked documents since it was a planned trip.
“I think it’s also important to note that she’ll be going to Nairobi later this month on a trip that in fact had been rescheduled. She looks forward to seeing President Ruto, as well as the UN leadership,” he said.
“Kenya has through the decades and continues to be a trusted partner and very generous host to UN institutions.”
Kenya plays a host of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
His statement follows close on the heels of a reaction by Foreign Affairs principal secretary Korir Sing’oei who says Kenya is “disturbed” by the comments about the President.
He has noted that “Kenya abhors the surveillance of the leadership of the United Nations.”
Ruto, he added, will continue with his international efforts to tackle climate change, reform global financial institutions and offer leadership on regional peace and security issues.
Kenya’s U.N. Ambassador Martin Kimani told Reuters Friday he had spoken to Guterres and Mohammed “to seek clarity on the import of their concerning reported sentiments” and to express Kenya’s opposition to the surveillance of the Secretary-General.
Kimani said the surveillance was contrary to the founding UN Charter, other international laws and acceptable practices.