Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NAIROBI1363
2006-03-27 15:58:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:
COCAINE VERIFICATION HITS A GLITCH
how-toVZCZCXYZ0032 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHNR #1363 0861558 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 271558Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0572 INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 8351 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 4584 RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 4080 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 1272 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1920 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1894 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY RUEHNA/DEA HQS WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 001363
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PRETORIA FOR
DEA/WAGNER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2026
TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR KCRM PGOV ASEC KE UN
SUBJECT: COCAINE VERIFICATION HITS A GLITCH
REF: NAIROBI 1113
Classified By: Political Counselor Michael J. Fitzpatrick for
reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 001363
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PRETORIA FOR
DEA/WAGNER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2026
TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR KCRM PGOV ASEC KE UN
SUBJECT: COCAINE VERIFICATION HITS A GLITCH
REF: NAIROBI 1113
Classified By: Political Counselor Michael J. Fitzpatrick for
reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (SBU) U.S., U.K., and United National Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) international experts, accompanied by GOK
chemists, arrived at the General Services Unit (GSU) training
school the morning of March 27 to begin the verification
process of the one and a quarter ton of cocaine seized in
December 2004. Even though Attorney General Amos Wako had yet
to authorize the verification process to begin, the Kenyan
police, presided over by Criminal Investigations Division
(CID) Director Joseph Kamau, delivered what was purported to
be the cocaine via helicopter at 10 a.m. to the Embakasi GSU
Training School. A furious Director of Public Prosecutions,
Keriako Tobiko, directed that the process in no way move
forward in the absence of authorization from the Attorney
General. The international teams waited all day for the much
anticipated authorization to be delivered.
2. (SBU) At 3 p.m., and still awaiting the authorization,
the international teams deemed it was too late in the day,
given the waning sunlight hours, to begin the process before
the consignment would need to be repacked and loaded onto the
helicopter for overnight storage. The international partners
collectively "broke camp". When the teams departed, they left
the twenty-two foot lockers allegedly filled with the cocaine
as they had been all day -- locked, untouched, and formally
in the possession of CID Chief Kamau. Only at 4:15 p.m. did
they receive notification that the Attorney General had
signed the authorization, detailing the procedures that all
government institutions are to comply with regarding the
verification, analysis, and destruction of the cocaine. The
international teams are to return to the Embakasi site
Tuesday morning, hopefully to begin the verification process.
Despite Kenyan media reports to the contrary, no/no
verification was conducted March 27.
3. (C) COMMENT: It is clear that the lengthy delay in issuing
the authorization resulted from heated battles within the
Government of Kenya over exactly how this entire process
should unfold. Marathon preparatory meetings have been
ongoing for days (and all weekend) among the international
partners and GOK institutions to nail down the exact
procedures for each phase. The police, having trumped the
Attorney General by producing the drugs from an undisclosed
location (clearly not the GSU Training School as all have
been told) without any non-police participation, have clearly
won the first round. END COMMENT.
BELLAMY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PRETORIA FOR
DEA/WAGNER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2026
TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR KCRM PGOV ASEC KE UN
SUBJECT: COCAINE VERIFICATION HITS A GLITCH
REF: NAIROBI 1113
Classified By: Political Counselor Michael J. Fitzpatrick for
reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (SBU) U.S., U.K., and United National Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) international experts, accompanied by GOK
chemists, arrived at the General Services Unit (GSU) training
school the morning of March 27 to begin the verification
process of the one and a quarter ton of cocaine seized in
December 2004. Even though Attorney General Amos Wako had yet
to authorize the verification process to begin, the Kenyan
police, presided over by Criminal Investigations Division
(CID) Director Joseph Kamau, delivered what was purported to
be the cocaine via helicopter at 10 a.m. to the Embakasi GSU
Training School. A furious Director of Public Prosecutions,
Keriako Tobiko, directed that the process in no way move
forward in the absence of authorization from the Attorney
General. The international teams waited all day for the much
anticipated authorization to be delivered.
2. (SBU) At 3 p.m., and still awaiting the authorization,
the international teams deemed it was too late in the day,
given the waning sunlight hours, to begin the process before
the consignment would need to be repacked and loaded onto the
helicopter for overnight storage. The international partners
collectively "broke camp". When the teams departed, they left
the twenty-two foot lockers allegedly filled with the cocaine
as they had been all day -- locked, untouched, and formally
in the possession of CID Chief Kamau. Only at 4:15 p.m. did
they receive notification that the Attorney General had
signed the authorization, detailing the procedures that all
government institutions are to comply with regarding the
verification, analysis, and destruction of the cocaine. The
international teams are to return to the Embakasi site
Tuesday morning, hopefully to begin the verification process.
Despite Kenyan media reports to the contrary, no/no
verification was conducted March 27.
3. (C) COMMENT: It is clear that the lengthy delay in issuing
the authorization resulted from heated battles within the
Government of Kenya over exactly how this entire process
should unfold. Marathon preparatory meetings have been
ongoing for days (and all weekend) among the international
partners and GOK institutions to nail down the exact
procedures for each phase. The police, having trumped the
Attorney General by producing the drugs from an undisclosed
location (clearly not the GSU Training School as all have
been told) without any non-police participation, have clearly
won the first round. END COMMENT.
BELLAMY