Nairobi — Kenya is the focus of scrutiny by the United States Government, a development that could have far-reaching implications on diplomatic relations.

At the centre of the storm is the Kenyan Ambassador to Washington, DC, Mr Peter Oginga Ogego, who raised eyebrows two weeks ago when he criticised Illinois Senator Barack Obama on the US soil even before he had formally presented his papers to the US Government.

Independent sources say Ogego also violated diplomatic etiquette by dispatching the caustic letter directly to Senator Obama in disregard of the usual diplomatic channels.

"The Bush administration saw this as unkind, uncalled for and a complete breach of protocol, criticising a popular US senator even before presenting his credentials," said our source.

Ogego's is the second diplomatic gaffe involving a Kenyan envoy in Washington in less than a year. The Government had to recall Ambassador Leonard Ngaithe last October after a female member of the embassy staff accused him of sexual harassment.

The incident allegedly took place while President Kibaki was on an official visit there. Ogego, perceived to be close to Foreign Affairs minister Mr Raphael Tuju, was once close to Liberal Democratic Party leader Mr Raila Odinga, with whom he was detained during the Moi administration.

But he had fallen out with Raila by the time he was first appointed as the ambassador to Canada soon after Narc swept to power. Sources also said his relations with the US State Department could be on a rocky stretch given the seriousness Bush himself appears to have given criticism against Obama by speaking on the graft war in Kenya.

The Department's unease with Ogego is also believed to have been aggravated first by the fact that the new ambassador for unexplained reasons, did not show up during the presentation of an award to former Ethics and Governance PS Mr John Githongo in Washington.

Githongo, who has expressed willingness to return home and help unravel the Anglo Leasing scandal, not only received the award, but also on September 7 met Obama in his office. The two are believed to have discussed Kenya and the former PS pet subject - corruption.

Last week, Githongo for the first time said it was not true that Kibaki was a good man, surrounded by bad people. He argued that "bad leaders surrounded themselves with bad people".

Ogego's situation has been compounded by the fact that Government Spokesman, Dr Alfred Mutua, has since attacked Obama twice in a manner and language that has not been taken kindly by the US.

Mutua accused Obama of misrepresenting facts about the Government's efforts in fighting corruption, and suggested that the US Embassy staff in Nairobi could have wrongly briefed him.

But, while the statements by Mutua and Ogego may have been made out of the notion that Senator Obama's sentiments did not reflect US official policy towards Kenya, it is telling that Bush chose last Thursday to chastise the Kibaki administration for lack of commitment in the anti-corruption war, only two days after Githongo met Obama, an influential member of the US Foreign Affairs committee, to discuss graft in Kenya.

Ogego's absence for the KCA award disappointed the community, as it was a departure from tradition.

Githongo delivered a strongly worded speech about corruption in Kenya that was echoed two days later by President Bush when he officially received Ogego's credentials. Bush expressed concern over endemic corruption and the seeming lack of commitment by the Government to end the vice.

This was the first time for President Bush, who has never visited Africa since assuming office, to talk about Kenya and specifically about corruption. It comes at a time when informed sources say that the US Government, which only recently posted Mr Michael Ranneberger to Nairobi as its new ambassador, plans to speak out more strongly on corruption.

Its major concerns include the fact that, even though the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission has a huge national budget, it is yet to show results nearly three years since its establishment, even though there is compelling evidence of high level corruption.

In particular, the US and UK, where Githongo is exiled, want the Anglo Leasing investigation finalised and the culprits prosecuted.

On Thursday, The Standard quoted the UK High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr Adam Wood, casting aspersions on the Government's anti-corruption war.

"We would feel reassured if there was evidence of action; if there were prosecutions; if files passed on to the Attorney General for prosecutions are acted on," said Wood.