VZCZCXRO0468
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #4313 2780829
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050829Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4700
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS NAIROBI 004313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV ET KE
SUBJECT: KENYA MOYALE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER ON THE OROMO 
LIBERATION FRONT AND ETHIOPIAN MILITARY 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The District Commissioner of Moyale, on 
Kenya's border with Ethiopia, admits that the Oromo 
Liberation Front (OLF) uses his district as a sanctuary, 
despite his best efforts.  He expresses annoyance with the 
"hostile" attitude of his Ethiopian counterparts and with the 
Ethiopian military's habit of ignoring the border when in hot 
pursuit of OLF fighters without even bothering to notify 
Kenyan officials. He also hinted at exasperation with the 
lack of attention and resources he receives from Kenya's 
central government to cope with his district's security 
issues and infrastructure needs.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Vincent Okioma, District Commissioner for the Moyale 
District of Kenya's Eastern Province, spoke with PolCouns 
about the activities of OLF fighters and Ethiopian military 
in his region.  Okioma frankly admitted that "Moyale district 
is a sanctuary for OLF fighters."  He stressed that the 
Government of Kenya does not support the OLF, but noted that 
many OLF fighters have relatives among the Moyale District's 
Borana community.  "When they visit their relations we cannot 
tell them apart from the local population."  (Note: Kenya's 
Borana community is for all practical purposes identical to 
Ethiopia's Oromo community.  End Note.)  Okioma insisted that 
"when we are able to identify OLF fighters, we arrest them." 
He noted that when his administration moves against OLF 
elements, Borana politicians and community leaders "accuse us 
of political persecution."  (Note: The Borana community in 
Moyale District elected the KANU candidate in the July 
by-election, rejecting the pro-government NARC-Kenya 
candidate.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) Okioma claimed that the Ethiopian military "ignores 
the border when in hot pursuit of OLF fighters.  They do not 
even bother telling us they are coming over the border." 
Okioma went on to say that "our problems with the Ethiopians 
are at the level of the regional government.  The national 
government says all the right things, but the regional 
government administration is hostile and aggressive toward 
us.  They falsely accuse us of supporting the OLF."  Okioma 
alleged that some former OLF fighters engage in banditry on 
the Kenyan side of the border for personal gain, while 
current fighters do the same to raise funds for their cause. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment:  The northern half of Kenya is sparsely 
populated and very lightly administered.  It receives scant 
resources and attention from Kenya's central government. 
Northern Kenyans often say that "Kenya begins at Isiolo," a 
reference to a town 350 miles to the south.  Moyale is 
connected to Isiolo by a mere dirt track.  Ethiopian Moyale 
is connected to Addis Ababa by a very serviceable tarred 
road.  Okioma is clearly annoyed with the unfriendly 
treatment he receives from his Ethiopian counterparts, but he 
also hinted at exasperation with the lack of attention and 
resources he receives from the central government to cope 
with his district's security issues and infrastructure needs. 
RANNEBERGER