A/S CARSON AND NSC SENIOR DIRECTOR GAVIN'S MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001084 SIPDIS AF/E FOR SUSAN DRIANO E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KE SUBJECT: A/S CARSON AND NSC SENIOR DIRECTOR GAVIN'S MEETING WITH DEPUTY PM/FINANCE MINISTER KENYATTA Classified By: Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger for reasons 1.4 (B and D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a May 12 meeting with Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Finance Uhuru Kenyatta, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs (A/S) Johnnie Carson and National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director for Africa Michelle Gavin expressed deep concern over political tensions in Kenya. Gavin delivered a tough message from President Obama: the U.S. would not do business with Kenyans who obstructed reform or encouraged political violence. Kenyatta sought to deflect concerns, arguing that the government's focus should be on economic rather than political reform, given Kenya's multitude of idle youth. He blamed an irresponsible media and a slow moving Parliament for the lack of overall progress on the reform agenda. A/S Carson and Gavin objected to Kenyatta's assertion that the media and Parliament were to blame and exhorted Kenyatta to work expeditiously towards significant progress on the reform agenda prior to the August 4-6, 2009 AGOA Forum in Nairobi. Kenyatta was diplomatic enough to pay lip service to the reform agenda but could not provide any tangible evidence of a commitment to change. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Finance Uhuru Kenyatta on May 12, A/S Carson and NSC Senior Director for Africa Gavin expressed the deep concern of the new U.S. Administration over political tensions in Kenya. While noting Kenya's critical role in Africa and its positive history of partnership with the United States, A/S Carson said there was growing concern that the political tensions that led to the eruption of violence in 2008 were building up again as a result of the slow pace of reform. He added that the tensions within the coalition appeared greater and stronger than the glue holding the coalition together. A/S Carson also emphasized USG concerns about the recent extra-judicial killings of human rights activists from the Oscar Foundation. A/S Carson said the killings had the hallmarks of a police hit and "shook a lot of human rights advocates." Particularly worrying, A/S Carson said, was the lack of prosecution or even the serious gathering of evidence. A/S Carson reminded Kenyatta of the linkage between political and economic reform, noting that one cannot attract investment without political certainty and stability. He said that failure to move rapidly on the political side will undermine what Kenya wants to do on the economic side. No one wanted to see Kenya fall or go backwards and we wanted to help where we could. Pointing to the upcoming August 4-6 AGOA Forum, A/S Carson made clear that he wanted Secretary Clinton to come to the Forum with a positive message, but that without significant reform she would be coming with a harder message for the GOK. ¶3. (C) Gavin made clear President Obama's deep concern over Kenya's political gridlock. She indicated that the U.S. wanted to help but that the new Administration is not interested in business as usual with political elites obstructing reform or contributing to political violence. The President is worried, she added, that Kenya is headed in the wrong direction. Gavin emphasized the importance of addressing disenfranchised youth and noted that their plight spoke to the need for economic growth and implementation of the reform agenda. ¶4. (C) Kenyatta said Kenya's current political stalemate (over whether the Vice President or Prime Minister leads government business) could be managed and that it was simply part of the transition from one system of government to another. In Kenyatta's view, the power to lead government clearly rested with the Vice President; he said he could not understand the Prime Minister's position in seeking to take over that power. Moving to the reform agenda, Kenyatta asserted that the focus, due primarily to problems of youth unemployment and the serious criminal gang threat in Kenya, had to be economic -- rather than political -- reform. According to Kenyatta, while the government had made progress on constitutional and electoral reform, focusing exclusively on the political front would be a mistake. A/S Carson and Gavin demurred; it was important, they said, to move on both tracks expeditiously as economic and political progress were inextricably linked. Kenyatta blamed an "independent Parliament" and "irresponsible media" for impeding progress on the reform agenda. ¶5. (C) On the subject of extra-judicial killings, Kenyatta condemned the actions but said there must be a greater understanding of the context in which they are taking place. He lamented the powerful draw of Kenya's pernicious criminal gangs, including Mungiki, on Kenya's growing multitude of idle youth. Zigzagging, he conceded that the police are likely involved with the criminal gangs, and claimed that the Oscar Foundation had links with Mungiki. In closing, Kenyatta sought additional USG assistance for Kenya. He complained that the U.S. decision to deny Kenya access to MCC funds was based on misperceptions -- rather than the reality -- of corruption in Kenya. If Kenya was so bad, Kenyatta asserted, it would not be receiving support from multilateral institutions such as NAIROBI 00001084 002 OF 002 the World Bank. Kenyatta said he wants a partnership with the U.S. rather than hammers and conditions, which he said moved regularly. ¶6. (C) Comment: In the face of repeated expressions of concern by A/S Carson and Gavin about Kenya's lack of reform and potential collision with renewed violence, Kenyatta appeared both defensive about the government's muddling and non-committal toward changing the status quo. Kenyatta was diplomatic enough to pay lip service to the reform agenda, but could not provide any tangible evidence of a commitment to change. End comment. ¶7. (U) This cable has been cleared by A/S Carson and NSC Senior Director for Africa Gavin. RANNEBERGER