kenyan elections - sovereign risk diminishes

After the post election bloodshed of 2007, concerns were understandably running high into the March election that was largely fought between the incumbent President and the controversial challenger from the most populist tribe, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Kenyatta is being brought to trial in April by the ICC for his alleged part in the 2007 bloodshed, and was the US/Western powers non-preferred election outcome, which probably helped ensure his slim margin of victory with a groundswell than went beyond the support of his most populist tribe, to ordinary Kenyan's willing to exercise their right to greater interdependence from perceived over-bearing western powers.
In the event, the election has been a relative success, with minimal pre and post election violence, despite the out-going President threatening to challenge the result - but pointedly via the courts, rather than inciting violence on the streets.
It looks over time that the loser, and his western supporters, may just have to get used to the new leaders.
Certainly that is the case in the local population, as life for Kenyans has already started to get back to normal.
The relevance for FAR and other E+P companies operating in Kenya is obviously significant, if from now on stability is to be the new norm.
Companies can get on with their strategic planning in Kenya.
For FAR, it is highly likely that their potential farm-in partners in L6 and L9 have been awaiting the outcome of the election, and its aftermath. At this point in time, the coast is clear, and looks like it will stay that way.
And if so, with this major sticking point behind them, on with business.
I'd expect negotiations should have already resumed with the identified major partner for L6, and L9.
I'd also expect the LoI should now be able to be progressed pretty quickly, and that the Kenyan bureacracy would be keen to rubber stamp and prove to the international community that they are getting on with business.
So I remain confident we can get an outcome on both in weeks, and that it can be transformational for FAR.