KENYAN SECURITY MINISTER MICHUKI DEEPLY CONCERNED

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 004628

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E AND PRM
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2026
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KISL PREF KE SO
SUBJECT: KENYAN SECURITY MINISTER MICHUKI DEEPLY CONCERNED
OVER ISLAMIC COURTS

REF: A. NAIROBI 4334


B. NAIROBI 4322

Classified By: Political Counselor Larry Andre for reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Kenya's Minister of National Security is
seized with Somalia and the possible implications of a
complete takeover of that country by the Council of Islamic
Courts (CIC). He expressed deep concern over the likely
implications of this scenario, regionally and in Kenya, and
urged U.S. and international action to prevent it, including
immediate lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia. He made
numerous requests for additional assistance for
counter-terrorism. END SUMMARY.

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Somalia is a Font of Extremism...
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2. (C) In the Ambassador's first call on Minister of
Provincial Administration and National Security John Michuki
on October 17, the Minister said the issues of security,
terrorism, and regional stability are all inter-linked for
Kenya, and are related to porous borders. The U.S. and Kenya
share Somalia concerns on two fronts, he said. The first is
the immediate danger of a spread of extremism to Kenyan
Muslims, particularly in Northeastern and Coast Provinces,
but also in Nairobi. He mentioned recent demonstrations by
Muslims who had presented him a memo, claiming basically,
Michuki said, that "all anti-terrorism actions" of the GOK
have been against Muslims. Michuki said he didn't see why
they should think this "unless they have guilty consciences,"
as the government "hasn't even interfered with preaching in
the mosques--fiery as it is." Extremism in the region will
only increase if Somalia is "allowed to fall" into extremism,
he said.

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...and Irredentism
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3. (C) Secondly, Michuki said, some of those in leadership in
the CIC were part of former Somali president Siad Barre's
regime, and share that regime's territorial ambitions. Many
Somalis would like to extend their borders as far as Garissa
(a town in Kenya's ethnically Somali Northeastern Province),
he said. A few would like to extend them as far as Nanyuki,
he added. (Note: While the Minister was exaggerating,
Nanyuki, on the northwest side of Mt. Kenya, could be taken
as the most extensive point of a line drawn around ethnic
Somalis and related Cushitic ethnic groups in Kenya. End
note.)

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...and the Dangers are Growing
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4. (C) Kenya was hoping that by now the Security Council
would have both removed the arms embargo on Somalia and also
authorized IGAD peacekeepers. The more we delay, the more
problems we will have," Michuki said. He has no hopes for
the next round of Khartoum talks, as the Arab League will
emphasize the "religious connection" with the Courts. The
"small states of the Middle East" are supporting and
encouraging the extremists in Somalia, while Eritrea is
exploiting the situation. The U.S. and Kenya need to work
together to contain these dangers, he said.

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Watching the Border, Sowing Some Fear
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5. (C) Kenya is watching its border with Somalia and the
coast, Michuki went on. He raised the concern that it is
easy for young men to go across to Somalia for
indoctrination, and then return quietly to Kenya to work to
expand extremist influence. The border needs to be
reinforced militarily, he said, not necessarily for the
purpose of moving into Somalia, but at least to "put the fear
of God" into the CIC leadership, to show them Kenya will
resist Somali expansion.


--------------
Help Us (Much More) in the CT Fight
--------------


6. (C) Kenya appreciates the U.S. gift of patrol boats to the
Kenya Navy, Michuki said, but needs more. He suggested two
additional patrol boats for each of the Coast districts of
Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, and Kwale, noting that Kenya faces a
serious problem of drug smuggling, which finances terrorism.
Kenya also faces illegal fishing by deep-sea trawlers in
Kenyan waters, he added. Warming to the topic, he asked for
forensic equipment (NFI),so that cases against terrorists
will be more evidence-based and more likely to lead to
convictions. Surveillance equipment would also be
useful--including helicopters. These helicopters should be
able to carry troops, so they can "land and intervene" when
they see suspicious movements.

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Refugees, Or Infiltrators?
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7. (C) The Minister said that recently (NFI) 85 persons
claiming to be refugees were turned back at Mandera (at the
northern end of the Kenya-Somalia border). Kenyan
authorities know the area across from Mandera is calm, so how
could they be refugees, he asked rhetorically. More such
attempts will be made along the 800 km. border. Refugee
claimants could easily hide arms in the bush on the Somali
side of the border, he said. Pulling a note from his pocket,
he stated that there are 147,000 refugees at Dadaab camp "as
of yesterday." 34,000 of these arrived this year, of whom
9,000 arrived since June, he said. These new arrivals "are
not running from torture or killings, but from closed-down
cinemas and miraa (qaat) markets," he claimed. The newcomers
need to be moved far from the border, he went on (ref B),so
they are out of contact with Somalia. The Minister said he
is going to Dadaab next week, and will go to Kakuma soon
after. The Ambassador, acknowledging Michuki's concerns,
said he trusts Kenya will continue to meet its obligations
under international law.

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About that Arms Embargo, and Somaliland
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8. (C) The Ambassador assured the Minister that the U.S. has
similar concerns about Somalia. "It's not in the interest of
the region to go Islamic," the Minister emphasized. He added
(presumably prompted by a Somaliland question from the
Ambassador) that any secession attempt in the region should
be "fought tooth and nail." All over the region, including
in Kenya, there are ethnic groups "quietly nursing ideas" of
secession, he said. (NOTE: Michuki's Cabinet colleague, FM
Tuju, is on record favoring eventual recognition of
Somaliland. END NOTE.)

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Say, Help Us Fight Extremism with Land
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9. (C) The Minister's final plea was for U.S. aid in settling
a "social issue" on the Coast, as a way of fighting
extremism. The GOK wants to take back land from absentee
landlords, and also buy land from legitimate owners to settle
those on the coast who feel dispossessed (ref A). Kenya's
fundamental policy is that no property is to be used without
recognition that it has an owner, the Minister said.
However, the sense of dispossession is a serious problem the
government is looking to solve, and perhaps the U.S. can
help, he concluded.

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Embassy Airspace
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10. (C) In his introductory remarks, the Ambassador had
mentioned our concerns over the lack of an airspace
restriction over the Embassy, and the need for permission for
Kenyan air traffic controllers to contact the Embassy

directly in case a plane does begin to head towards the
Embassy, rather than a message delivered through government
channels. The Ambassador noted our concern that time would
be extremely short in a terrorist attack. He raised the
issue again at the meeting's end, and the Minister promised
to look into the issue and respond. He directed an MFA
official in the meeting to follow up with the Minister of
Transportation.

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COMMENT
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11. (C) The Minister's deep concern over the likely
implications of an Islamist victory in Somalia seems widely
shared among educated non-Muslim Kenyans. Michuki's
democratic credentials are weak -- he is an old-school
politician with autocratic tendencies. He is widely
acknowledged to be the instigator of the ill-fated masked
police raid on a major daily newspaper in April. That said,
Michuki is a serious interlocutor on counter-terrorism and
other security issues, and we need to continue to engage with
him. END COMMENT.
RANNEBERGER