AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES PARTNERSHIP WITH PARLIAMENT

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000733 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL EAID PTER ASEC KE SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES PARTNERSHIP WITH PARLIAMENT REF: NAIROBI 216 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following the successful delivery of the presentation of the U.S.-Kenya partnership to President Kibaki in December, a Mission team led by the Ambassador on February 7 gave the Mission's "Partnership Presentation" to the leadership of Kenya's Parliament. During the well-attended session, the Ambassador and team engaged in a frank discussion on a variety of topics including trade, security, HIV/AIDS and the environment. The MPs expressed appreciation for the Mission's forthrightness and initiative in dedicating a few hours to visiting Parliament and interacting candidly with them. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador and a Mission team visited Parliament on February 7 to meet with members of Kenya's Parliamentary Liaison Committee, the members of which are the chairs of all the Parliamentary committees, and to deliver the Mission's "Partnership Presentation." The presentation covers all aspects of the U.S.-Kenya partnership and captures all direct and indirect resource flows from the U.S. to Kenya (reftel). The members were impressed by the volume and breadth of U.S. support and assistance, but were also interested to know in what further ways the U.S. might be able to help. Requests included covering salaries for trained teachers, jobs for trained nurses, extension of the AGOA program beyond 2015, U.S. provision of security infrastructure in Kenya including a forensic laboratory, improved rural electrification, and even assistance for Kenya's constitutional review process. ¶3. (SBU) Many of the issues raised by the eleven MPs were predictable, hitting on all areas of concern, interest, and complaint among Kenyan lawmakers with regard to U.S. policy. Among the topics raised were the perceived inadequate level of "compensation" for victims of the August 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing, alleged U.S. insistence on Kenyan anti-terrorism legislation, Embassy visa procedures and fees, and the travel warning. On the latter, the members noted that an approach to insecurity more broadly, rather than strictly counterterrorism efforts, might be more productive in Kenya. The Ambassador distributed copies of the bombing assistance factsheet and reminded the MPs that Kenyan citizens suffer daily from poor security in the country. ¶4. (SBU) The session highlighted areas for further interaction between a variety of Mission elements and Parliament, which already benefits from innovative USAID Democracy and Governance programming. The MPs present welcomed future opportunities for dialogue. This positive meeting with the Parliament's leadership reinforces a communication channel through which the Mission can lend its support for both professionalism during the upcoming elections and pending legislation critical to U.S. interests such as an Anti-Money Laundering bill which may come before Parliament this session. RANNEBERGER