COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002178 SIPDIS AID/WASH FOR ATERIO, M/HR/TE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA AO KE SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES GROUP (IRG) TRAINING FACILITATORS ¶1. USAID grants country clearance for the visit of IRG training facilitators, Jenna Luche-Thayer and John Taber, o/a June 10, 2006 to o/a June 24, 2006 to travel to Kenya to provide CTO training. Country clearance is granted subject to the actual security situation at the time of proposed travel. The USAID switchboard number is 254-20-862-2000 and the after-hours number is 254- 20-856-2825. Control officer is Tom Ray, work International Voice Gateway (IVG) telephone number 8- 871-2503, home landline phone 254-20-712-4049 and cell phone 254?722-204-455. Hotel accommodation has been arranged at the Safari Park Hotel at a cost of U.S. dollars 118 for single rooms and 138 for double rooms inclusive of taxes. The hotel telephone number is 254- 20-363-3000, and the hotel facsimile number is 254-20- 363-3919. A driver from Express Travel, the Embassy's contracted travel agent, will meet you after you exit the baggage claim area. If you do not see the driver, inquire at the Europcar/Express Travel Group counter. Cost for transport is 30 U.S. dollars per round trip. ¶2. ICASS TDY charges: Each visitor, regardless of length of stay, must bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the visit. Each agency, organization or visiting delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to its visit. Direct charge costs include, but are not limited to: airport transportation, accommodations, American and LES staff overtime (for such services as airport expediting, control room staffing, cashier services, drivers),long distance telephone calls, cell phone rentals and cost of actual calls, travel and per diem costs for American or LES staff who accompany the TDY employee on field travel, rental of vehicles and equipment, gasoline and other vehicle maintenance costs, office supplies, cost of goods procured, departure tax and other airport fees. Post will not provide service if fiscal data is not provided for the direct charges. For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there is a charge for ICASS support services. This charge is for the following ICASS services: Basic Package, CLO and Health Services. The charge per month is approximately $353. Agencies will not be billed until the accumulated invoice cost for TDY support exceeds $2,500 for the fiscal year. If your sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for ICASS support services upon arrival. The agency should provide post with a written communication, generated by the traveler?s headquarters, that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides the agency ICASS billing code to which the TDY support charges should be applied, and authorizes the traveler to sign the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. Where travel is urgent, the TDYer should bring this documentation with him/her to ensure there are no interruptions in the provision of service. Post will not provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of thirty days without provision of this documentation before day 31 of the TDY. If you have a sponsoring agency at post, please request that they fill out a TDY introductory memo on your behalf so that it is easier to receive the services you need from the embassy's ICASS service provider. The Medical Unit cannot provide services without the introductory memo with fiscal data. ¶3. Policy for TDYs of 30 days or more: Effective January 1, 2005, American personnel traveling to post on TDY assignments of 30 days or more must have completed mandatory personal security training. The four-day course, "Serving Abroad for Families & Employees (S.A.F.E.)," is available at FSI, or agencies can apply to DS to provide their own equivalent security training. In the country clearance request cable, agencies must provide certification that training for covered employees will be completed prior to travel. For training schedules at FSI contact the Registrar?s Office at 703-302-7143; for the training syllabus contact Dr. Patricia Schofield at 703-302- ¶7267. For other agency self-certification, contact DS/T William Armor at 703-205-2816. ¶4. Security assessment: - There is currently a travel warning in effect for Kenya, which states that the U.S. Government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats in the region aimed at American and western interests, including civil aviation, and that the Kenyan government might not be able to prevent such attacks. - Nairobi is designated a critical threat post for transnational terrorism and crime by the Department of State. The RSO is required to brief all TDY visitors staying more than one week, as soon as possible after their arrival at post. - There is a high rate of street crime in downtown Nairobi, and reports of group attacks and muggings are on the rise throughout the country. Pickpockets and thieves carry out "snatch and run" crimes on city streets and near crowds. Visitors have found it safer not to carry valuables, but rather to store them in hotel safety deposit boxes or safe rooms. Walking alone or at night downtown is not recommended as attacks have taken place on public streets and parks. The RSO recommends leaving all important documents (passports, plane tickets, etc.) in a hotel safe and not wearing any jewelry on the street. In addition, visitors should avoid hanging a camera around their necks, carrying a protruding wallet, and carrying or showing large amounts of money in public. - While traveling in vehicles, doors should be kept locked and windows rolled up. Carjackings are common in Nairobi and diplomatic vehicles and personnel are not immune to these attacks by armed thieves. Highway bandits are active on roads leading to the border areas. - The Government of Kenya (and the Mission firearms policy) prohibits the importing and carrying of firearms except for U.S. law enforcement officers engaged in protective security or investigative duties. ¶5. Climate: Weather conditions in Nairobi are sunny and mild year-round with daily temperatures ranging between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In April and May, it rains frequently and daytime temperatures are lower. From June through September, dry, but often cloudy, weather persists with cool nights. From October through November there is occasional rain, but most days are sunny and warm. ¶6. Health: Due to the high altitude, Nairobi is not a malarial area and malaria prophylaxis is not needed; but the risk of malaria outside Nairobi is significant. Therefore, if you are planning to travel outside Nairobi, particularly to areas below 3,500 feet elevation, it is advisable to begin using oral malarial medication before arrival and for four weeks following departure. In addition, every effort should be made to use insect repellents, proper clothing, and barriers which discourage/prevent mosquito bites. Travelers should also carry immunization records with valid yellow fever immunization as well as being current with other inoculations. The embassy medical unit advises that local tap water is not potable. Bottled water is safe to drink and can be purchased in local hotels, restaurants and grocery stores. Individuals with sickle cell trait should carefully consider the altitude of this post. Short-term (TDY) assignments carry an added risk because of the lack of time for acclimatization. Dehydration and stress from exercise or illness compound the basic risks of high altitude. For more information about sickle cell trait, contact your health unit or the medical clearances section of the Office of Medical Services. ¶7. Internal travel: - Due to the dangerous driving conditions in Nairobi and in Kenya in general, post policy now prohibits TDYers from driving USG or rental vehicles. If riding with others or hiring a driver, note that it is inadvisable to travel at night outside well-traveled areas due to the lack of lighting, road signs, and warning signals on broken down vehicles. Many drivers exercise poor judgment and drive too fast. Traffic accidents are common. Public ground transportation in Kenya, particularly after dark, should be avoided for safety and security reasons. Travel via passenger train in Kenya is considered unsafe by the RSO, particularly during the rainy seasons. The trains and tracks lack routine maintenance and safety checks. - GSO has contracted with Jim Cab Services to provide additional transportation services for the mission. In the absence of special arrangements for use of official vehicles, TDYers and visitors will be expected to use this service for their transportation requirements. Because TDY transportation is reimbursed as part of the individual?s travel expenses, TDYers will pay for their transportation directly to Jim Cab when the services are rendered. Landline numbers for Jim Cab are 712- 2565, 712-1205 or 712-0344; cell phone numbers are 0722-711001, 0722-714246 or 0733-735499. ¶8. Money matters: - For better exchange rates, it is recommended that money changing/accommodation exchange be undertaken through our contracted bank, the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA). CBA has branches in the US Embassy building and the USAID building. CBA?s hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 12 noon and 1 PM to 3 PM; Friday, 9 AM to 12 noon. For TDYers, CBA will cash up to 500 US dollars per day and will change cash, traveler?s checks or personal checks. If you are using personal checks, an exchange application form must be filled in and approved by the Financial Management Officer prior to visiting the bank. Your control officer will provide the form or you may pick up a copy in the Financial Management Center. Certain ATM machines in town will accept US ATM and credit cards. - Credit cards are accepted at major hotels and restaurants, with VISA and Mastercard being the cards of choice. - The current rate of exchange is approximately 72 shillings to the US dollar. ¶9. General: - AEA Morale Store: TDY membership in the American Employees Association (AEA) is available for five U.S. dollars per week or one dollar per day. The AEA Morale Store offers a limited supply of liquor, soda, beer, snacks, Embassy souvenirs, and Kenyan crafts. All products are sold in U.S. dollars. Cash and travelers checks are accepted; no personal checks are accepted. - APO Use: TDY personnel wishing to use the APO are required to present a copy of their TDY/leave orders to the APO supervisor. Military members must also produce a valid ID card. - TDY travelers to Nairobi can be given the option to connect to their State Department OpenNet mailbox. Please ask your system administrator for the domain name and the IP address/name of your organization?s mail server and confirmation that remote access of your mailbox is possible. Please give our systems office advance notice of the need for remote connection by sending an e-mail with the above information to iscnairobi@state.gov. ¶10. Entry requirements: A visa to enter Kenya is mandatory. This applies to U.S. citizens arriving for any purpose and regardless of type of passport. Travelers may obtain a visa in advance at a Kenyan embassy or consulate. Alternatively, a visa can be obtained at the airport (for a voucherable charge of 50 U.S. dollars if traveling on a non-diplomatic passport, or gratis if traveling with a diplomatic passport),but lines may be long and processing time slow. Evidence of yellow fever immunization is usually requested upon entry to Kenya. ¶11. Departure: Each person departing Kenya (regardless of age or type of passport) must pay a 20 U.S. dollar departure tax payable in Kenya shillings or U.S. dollars, unless it has been included in the price of your ticket. Further, there is 500 Kenya shilling (approximate) departure tax imposed on all domestic flights. BELLAMY