Ambassador's Remarks upon receiving Honorary Doctorate

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001266

DEPT FOR AF/E Susan Driano

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KE
SUBJECT: Ambassador's Remarks upon receiving Honorary Doctorate

UNCLASSIFIED - ENTIRE TEXT


1. On May 29 Africa Nazarene University awarded the Ambassador an
honorary doctorate for his efforts to promote peace and
reconciliation. The Ambassador used the occasion for public
outreach in support of the reform agenda and reconciliation
efforts.


2. Begin text of remarks.

I accept this honor with profound humility and appreciation. This
honor is a wonderful recognition of the deep friendship and
partnership between the United States and Kenya. I am particularly
pleased to have with me my daughter Elizabeth who is herself today
receiving a very important degree - her high school diploma from the
International School of Kenya. I am immensely proud of how well she
has done; she was one of only 5 seniors to receive an award for
continuous 12th grade honors. I know this occasion will inspire
her, and I look forward to the date when she will receive a
university degree. I wish to thank all those whose love and
friendship is so important to me.

Given the special ties between the American people and Africa
Nazarene University, it is particularly appropriate that you have
chosen to convey this honor. The activities of American citizens
and their institutions in Kenya is the largest part of our
partnership. As the U.S. Ambassador, I am proud of the contribution
which Africa Nazarene University is making to promote education in
Kenya.

The awarding of this honor highlights in a most timely manner the
importance of the efforts of all individuals to promote peace,
reconciliation, and democratic values. Africa Nazarene University
and the 19 other public and private universities in Kenya are at the
forefront of transforming this country through education. The
students at this university, and the 110,000 students at other
Kenyan universities, are broadening their perspectives of the world.
You who are graduating today have learned how to become enlightened
citizens and responsible members of civil society. The high quality
education you have received makes you privileged members of society,
and places upon you a large responsibility to contribute to the
process of bringing about fundamental change in order to make Kenya
a stronger and more stable democracy.

Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. in his famous book Politics said:
"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be
found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons
alike share in the government to the utmost."
The greatness - and the greatest crises - of American history are
largely a reflection of how we have struggled to achieve such
inclusivity and to build democracy on the basis of great diversity,
and how this effort has in turn affected our economic and political
development. The terribly bloody civil war in the United States
waged over the issues of slavery and secession was a watershed in
our history because it was fought precisely over the principle that
democracy must be a united effort involving all the people. As
President Abraham Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address, the war
was fought to affirm a government of, by, and for the people - all
the people. However, it was only after years of struggle,
culminating in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s,
that African-Americans began to be able to fully enter the political
and economic life of their country.
The election of President Obama dramatically demonstrates the
substantial progress that has been made and reflects what can be
achieved when diversity is constructively accommodated in a
democratic society and becomes an engine of its development. Kenyans
face the same challenge in standing up against tribally-based
politics to ensure that the diversity represented in the 42 ethnic
groups of this country is harnessed to promote unity and the
well-being of all.
The American experience demonstrates that widespread education is
key to promoting appreciation of the importance of diversity for
democracy and development. Education helps instill understanding of
human rights, of the principles of democracy, of the nature of
economic development, and of the reality of diversity in our
societies. Schools, especially universities, bring together
students from across the country and allow them to see, hear, and
appreciate that their ethnic and regional differences melt away in
the classroom and in their lives.
The fact that education is expanding so rapidly in Kenya bodes well
for the future of this country. The well-educated young people who
are the great majority of the population in Kenya are increasingly
insisting that the leadership of the country focus on a national,
rather than narrowly-based tribal, approach to government and
economic management.
Youth groups are proliferating throughout the country to provide
alternative platforms for dialogue across ethnic lines, and to
insist that the coalition government fully implement the reform
agenda and address the challenges facing the nation. I challenge
you as graduates to be in the forefront of those efforts. The
United States will stand by the side of the young people of Kenya as

NAIROBI 00001266 002 OF 002


they press peacefully for implementation of reforms: meaningful
and timely constitutional review, creation of a truly independent
electoral commission, setting up a Special Tribunal to hold
accountable those who perpetrated post-election violence, decisive
steps against corruption, and major police and judicial, among
others. We will stand by your side because we are friends and
because the alternative of renewed instability is too terrible to
contemplate.
The burgeoning activism of young people threatens the vested
interests and culture of impunity that protect those who do not want
to see the status quo changed. But those vested interests will not
be able to hold back the tide of history, because a profound process
of change is already underway in Kenya. That process is being led
by independent young leaders who refuse to be compromised by the
vested interests. The country, and in particular the political
class, will increasingly feel its impact. The increasingly high
profile activity of these young leaders and youth groups is one of
the most inspiring demonstrations that a real democratic spirit is
now transforming this country. For those who may be skeptical, let
us remember that fundamental change is often brought about far more
rapidly than anyone anticipates. You need only look at the example
of our presidential election of 2008 to appreciate that fact.
I am certain that President Obama enthusiastically supports the
youth of Kenya as they work for peaceful change. He recently sent a
high-level delegation to Kenya to deliver a clear message on the
need to accelerate the reform agenda and to make clear that the U.S.
will not do business as usual with those who do not support reform.

I cannot say it any better than the President himself - then a U.S.
Senator - did in his August 2006 speech in Kenya. "Today," he said,
"we're starting to see that the Kenyan people want more than a
simple changing of the guard, more than piecemeal reforms to a
crisis that's crippling their country. The Kenyan people are crying
out for real change, and whether one voted orange or banana in last
year's referendum, the message that many Kenyans seemed to be
sending was one of dissatisfaction with the pace of reform, and real
frustration with continued tolerance of corruption at high levels."


He went on to say: "Ethnic-based tribal politics has to stop. It is
rooted in the bankrupt idea that the goal of politics or business is
to funnel as much of the pie as possible to one's family, tribe, or
circle with little regard for the public good. It stifles innovation
and fractures the fabric of the society. Instead of opening
businesses and engaging in commerce, people come to rely on
patronage and payback as a means of advancing. Instead of unifying
the country to move forward on solving problems, it divides neighbor
from neighbor."

"In the end, one of the strongest weapons your country has against
corruption is the ability of you, the people, to stand up and speak
out about the injustices you see. The Kenyan people are the ultimate
guardians against abuses."

Then, as if he were speaking to you today, he said: "Looking out at
this crowd of young people, I have faith that you will fight this
fight too. You will decide if your leaders will be held accountable,
or if you will look the other way. You will decide if the standards
and the rules will be the same for everyone - regardless of
ethnicity or of wealth. And you will determine the direction of this
country in the 21st century - whether the hard work of the many is
lost to the selfish desires of a few, or whether you build an open,
honest, stronger Kenya where everyone rises together."

I thank you profoundly for the honor you have bestowed upon me, and
- confident in the future of this great country -- I wish you well.

End text.


RANNEBERGER