"MERCENARIES" IN KENYA TURN TABLES ON THEIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001187

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2026
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL CVIS KE
SUBJECT: "MERCENARIES" IN KENYA TURN TABLES ON THEIR
ACCUSERS


REF: A. (A) NAIROBI 988


B. (B) NAIROBI 1114

C. (C) NAIROBI 1023

Classified By: A/DCM Michael J. Fitzpatrick. Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Stepping out of the shadows, Kenya's
"foreign mercenaries" stun Kenya with claims the opposition,
not the government, tried to hire them to bankroll regime
change. Following the foreigners' March 13 staged press
conference, ostensibly to clear their names, the intensity of
the accusations has only grown, with calls for arrests of the
very opposition leaders who days ago were on the offensive.
While it is early yet to sift truth from sensation, it is
clear that these men are connected to prominent Kenyans and
are fuel for the increasingly hostile and messy political
debate in Kenya. END SUMMARY.

Hired Thugs or Just Fabulously Wealthy Businessmen?
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2. (C) After a week of cat-and-mouse with the media and
opposition, alleged mercenaries are out of hiding and turning
the tables on their Kenyan accusers. On March 13, two men,
identified in the media as foreign mercenaries, staged a
press conference to "clear their names." Dressed to the hilt
in "Soprano-esque" suits and dripping with ostentatious gold
accessories, one even sporting gold-rimmed rose-colored
glasses for the event, they denied claims that they are
mercenaries hired by the Kenyan government. They claim to
have just returned to Kenya after a few days in Dubai. The
men's coming-out followed opposition ODM leader MP Raila
Odinga's repeated accusations that the government hired
foreigners to carry out the March 2 raid on the Standard
Media Group and to assassinate leading opposition figures
(ref A). During their press event held in a limited-access
airport "government VIP lounge," the men claimed they are
Armenians and merely wealthy businessmen. They added, "if we
were mercenaries, Kenya could not afford us." They claimed
to have had failed business dealings with Odinga and met with
Kalonzo Musyoka and Odinga who sought USD 41,600,000 to
support the "No" referendum campaign as a way to bring down
the Kibaki government. They also announced that they had
loaned Odinga approximately USD1.5 million in cash.


3. BIONOTE: Photocopies of passports believed to belong to
the two foreigners reveal that they are: Margaryan, Artur,
DOB: 15 Jan 73, passport number AB0322223, issued 27 Jan 97;
and Sargsyan, Artur, DOB: 14 May 70, passport number
AF0599780, issued 1 Mar 03. END BIONOTE.


4. (C) At their own press conference the next day, both
Odinga and Musyoka deny the claims. ODM accused the
foreigners of laundering drug trafficking proceeds and
challenged President Kibaki to come clean on the presence of
the Armenians in Kenya. State House responded with a
Presidential Press Service statement warning Odinga against
tarnishing the Office of the President with baseless
"propaganda." One of the mercenaries claimed to have
videotaped his passing money to Odinga in a Dubai hotel
several months ago. Pro-government members of parliament,
led by Environment Minister Kivutha Kibwana, called March 14
for the arrest of Odinga and Musyoka on charges of treason.
(NOTE: Post has reason to believe that the threat to arrest
Odinga may indeed be imminent. Given the tribal undertones
and the clear sense that this is no longer "politics as
usual," Post has urged State House not to rashly move to
arrest Odinga or other opposition leaders. Presidential
Policy Adviser Stanley Murage told A/DCM March 15 that the
police would take statements from the Armenian accusers this
week before making any arrests. END NOTE.)


5. (C) Numerous irregularities in the Armenians' stories
create a strong suspicion that the government may be
puppeteering the charade to discredit Odinga and other
opposition leaders. (Ref B.) The foreigners claim they are
Armenians, even nephews of the Armenian Prime Minister.
However, the Kenyan Immigration Minister, John Konchella,
says that they are Czech nationals. Even their very arrival
at the airport is in dispute. They claim to have just

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arrived from Dubai on a Kenya Airways flight. However,
immigration officials stated they arrived on a charter
flight. Several others, including Odinga, insist the pair
arrived via a government vehicle to the airport hours before
the Dubai flight landed. Post has various pieces of evidence
suggesting that the men are associated with either State
House or one of the "first families" and Kamlesh Pattni, the
man behind the Goldenberg scandal.

Demonstrations: Not Just for the Opposition
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6. (C) Proving the government can also draw a crowd (ref C),
a handful of pro-Kibaki officials organized a march through
downtown Nairobi March 10. The MPs present professed their
loyalty to President Kibaki. "Just like ants, termites, and
bees do not allow the queen to be attacked, we will also
protect the President." The event also included a slew of
accusations against ODM leader Raila Odinga, with a foreign
twist - Raila sold part of his business interests to Russian
arms dealers, and "is the one with links in Russia, having
gone to college there." (NOTE: In fact, Odinga went to
college in East Germany. END NOTE.) The opposition was not
the only target. According to media reports, Assistant
Gender and Sports Minister Maina Kamanda warned journalists
against writing reports that discredit the government. Media
persons, he said, "would not be spared in the event of
chaos," suggesting they would be held accountable should
their work incite unrest. Attempting to tone down the ethnic
tenor of the rhetoric, Kibaki, speaking at a meeting of 70
MPs aligned with him, advised his colleagues to "weigh very
carefully what we say," and avoid "opportunistic politics."

Comment
--------------


7. (C) Forget the fiction of LeCarre's novel "The Constant
Gardener." This real-life tale of hired thugs of
questionable nationality, prominent Kenyans, massive
corruption, blackmail, threats, and narcotics trafficking
schemes, reads like a script Hollywood would reject as
unbelievable. Unfortunately, the duelng accusations have
sidetracked public attention from the seriousness of the
underlying issues of corruption and democratic space.
Indeed, each new revelation of wrong-doing is bound to shake
the public's faith in both sides' stries and their
leaderships. END COMMENT.
ROWE