AIRPORT SECURITY INCIDENT LEADS TO EXPULSION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 002616

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2026
TAGS: ASEC KDEM PREL KE
SUBJECT: AIRPORT SECURITY INCIDENT LEADS TO EXPULSION OF
"ARMENIANS"

REF: A. NAIROBI 1187


B. NAIROBI 1023

Classified By: Political Counselor Larry Andre. Rreasons 1.4
(b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Airport security is optional, for those with
connections to high-level government officials and their
associates. This point was underscored June 8 when two
Armenian "mercenaries" (reftels) assaulted security officials
at Kenya's main airport, waving firearms and bypassing
inspections. Unlike the last time the two men dominated
headlines, the Government of Kenya deported the Armenians the
following day, declaring them personae non grata. "Too
little too late" is the outcry from members of Parliament,
the press, and the public, who demand to know why these men
had been afforded protection from the highest officials,
decrying what this reveals about the state of Kenyan national
security. The troubling security lapse is a symptom of a
government which has lost its way, allowing unsavory and
possibly criminal activity to go on unchecked, with the hope
of gaining some benefit or advantage of either the financial
or political kind, or both. END SUMMARY.

PLAYBOY MERCENARIES REAPPEAR
--------------


2. (SBU) "The Armenians," Artur Margaryan and Artur
Sargsyan, first grabbed headlines in March when opposition
politicians connected them to government raids on the
Standard Media Group (ref B). Following accusations of their
affiliations with prominent Kenyans, including individuals
close to Statehouse, and speculation as to the true nature of
their "business," the men reportedly left Kenya voluntarily
in April. Popular opinion held that individuals high in the
Kenyan government, or close to it, in particular Kibaki's
second wife Mary Wambui, brought the Armenians to Kenya. It
is unclear what exactly their activities in Kenya were, but
they were most likely not entirely legal. Their lavish,
flamboyant behavior and receipt of various privileges from
the Government of Kenya drew widespread, unfavorable notice.

WHERE'S THE SECURITY?
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3. (SBU) On June 8, the Armenians burst into Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport carrying highly-controlled (in theory)
all-airport access passes, and flashing firearms which they
used to threaten airport officials. A guest they had come to
meet had refused to pay duty on surveillance cameras she was
importing. With their show of force, the Arturs were able to
whisk their companion and her luggage past inspection. When
police finally caught up with them and searched their home
they found weapons, ammunition, Government of Kenya plated
vehicles, Kenyan diplomatic passports, vehicle license
plates, including diplomatic plates, police uniforms similar
to the ones used during the March Standard raids, and bullet
proof vests. Although the men were arrested on June 9, they
were not held and charged, as would be appropriate for
criminals, but instead deported (or expelled, as it is
unclear if that formal deportation occurred). Kenyans are
demanding an explanation for how the Arturs were able to so
flagrantly violate Kenyan laws.


4. (SBU) During a June 13 special session to debate the
issue, MPs highlighted the twin concerns of the serious
security lapse which had allowed the Armenians to operate
unimpeded, and "compromised" governance by officials who may
have been supporting the duo for their own personal or
political gain. Members underscored the real possibility
that there are many more Arturs in Kenya, who, with support
from influential individuals, are free to undertake drug
trafficking, money laundering, counterfeiting, and gun
running. That the Arturs were able to operate with impunity,
they lamented, does not bode well for the country's ability
to prevent international criminals from carrying out their
activities in Kenya. Parliament's reaction is the brighter
spot in this bizarre case. Assuming its role of providing a
check on executive power, MPs pushed the Speaker to allow a
special session, and informally called for a Parliamentary
Select Committee to investigate in place of the
executive-appointed Commission.


5. (C) The government insists it has done the right thing.
Ministers highlight the arrest and removal of the Armenians

as well as President Kibaki's appointment of a Commission of
Inquiry and suspension of eleven officials, including
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Director Joseph
Kamau, as evidence of good intent. Internal Security
Minister John Michuki, during his farewell meeting with the
Ambassador June 14, insisted this was a case of "opposition
politics," noting that the Government had waited until there
was sufficient evidence to act, which it subsequently did.
Michuki, however, remains characteristically unapologetic.
Despite calls from MPs for his resignation, Michuki told the
Ambassador, "I'm not going anywhere."

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION SPEAKS OUT
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6. (U) Nearly simultaneous with the June 13 debate in
Parliament, the British High Commissioner in Nairobi was
delivering his remarks in honor of the Queen's birthday.
Coupled with a call for strong government action against
grand corruption, Wood noted that the Armenians' departure
(for which the government claims credit, he added) makes it
harder for Kenyans to learn any answers. Highlighting the
incident as part of a "wider, worrying trend," Wood commented
that "it is important to Kenya's international partners that
security at Kenya's airports should be robust." Wood
concluded that the "excesses of the last few days...are too
great to ignore."

COMMENT
--------------



7. (C) COMMENT: The Kibaki Government's reaction is
classically formulaic: find a few scapegoats (the eleven
suspended officials) and form a committee to investigate.
Giving the Commission of Inquiry a distant deadline (July
31),the government can buy time while waiting for public
memories to fade. If past experience with commissions and
reports is any indication, (see the Goldenberg Report,
Githongo Report on Anglo Leasing, etc.) legal action against
any of the culprits is unlikely. Accountability is further
hamstrung by the release of the Armenians. The security
lapse, itself deeply troubling, is symptomatic of a deeper
malaise: a government which has lost its way and allows this
kind of activity to go on under its nose (or with the
connivance of its own members) in hopes of somehow benefiting
from the criminal behavior committed by such dubious
characters. END COMMENT.
BELLAMY