KENYA FY2006 DHRF BUDGET REQUEST

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001434 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/RSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM KWMN PHUM SOCI KE SUBJECT: KENYA FY2006 DHRF BUDGET REQUEST REF: A. STATE 44425 ¶B. NAIROBI 70 ¶1. Embassy Nairobi requests USD100,000 for our FY2006 Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF) program. This represents a USD9,000 increase over the amount obligated in FY2005. Post is requesting this small increase to have the flexibility to either fund one more deserving organization than the four awarded in FY2005, or to be able to provide slightly more funds to each grantee. As Kenyan civil society continues to strengthen, it is important to encourage their activism. ¶2. Post proposes to use this increase to advance the objectives of the Mission Performance Plan in the area of democracy and human rights. Recent events in Kenya, notably the constitutional referendum of November 2005 and the exposure of large scale corruption, as well as the upcoming 2007 general election, provide increased opportunities for civil society organizations to participate in the political process. Over the past three years, Post has used its DHRF funding to support organizations working to provide civic education, sensitize women on their legal rights with respect to spousal abuse and inheritance, end torture in custody, and encourage alternatives to female genital mutilation. ¶3. Grassroots organizations in Kenya still face many obstacles -- political, ethnic, attitudinal, and financial -- to effective operations, but their motivation is great. Each year we receive a number of qualified applications, both from new organizations, and others who wish to continue the work they began through the DHRF. This year, we have already had expressions of interest and applications from a number of organizations, and expect to hear from several more. We would like to fund four or five projects at about USD 20,000 to 25,000 each. For this reason, we are requesting USD100,000 in FY2006 DHRF funding. BELLAMY