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DE RUEHNR #1603/01 1020652
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120652Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8900
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 9241
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 5218
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 4650
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1974
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2209
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2166
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001603 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV PHUM KE
SUBJECT: BAD GOVERNANCE THE ROOT OF INSECURITY IN MT. ELGON 
 
REF: NAIROBI 5393 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary:  With the death toll approaching 150 and 
the number of displaced persons rising to above 61,700, the 
conflict over land settlement in the Mt. Elgon district of 
Western Kenya has become a major political issue.  The 
Kibaki administration is promoting dialogue among the 
warring factions and increasing security forces in the 
area, which only addresses the symptoms.  The underlying 
causes of the conflict are layered, with clan identity, 
corruption, and patronage playing prominent roles. 
Untangling these issues and establishing a firm basis for 
communal harmony in the region is further complicated by 
the politics of Western Province, one of Kenya's more 
politically contested regions.  END SUMMARY. 
 
A Brewing Conflict 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Mt. Elgon's slopes, an extinct volcano, are 
exceptionally fertile, which has made the region the 
breadbasket for much of Western Province and beyond.  The 
Mt. Elgon region, located on the Kenya-Uganda border, is 
primarily populated by members of the Kalenjin/Nilotic 
ethnic group.  The Kalenjin account for approximately 11 
percent of Kenya's population and are comprised of a 
collection of small ethnic groups amalgamated into one 
ethnic identity largely for political mobilization 
purposes.  (Reftel.) One of these small ethnic groups, 
the Sabaot, is at the center of crisis in Mt. Elgon.  The 
Ndorobo clan of the Sabaot are traditionally forest 
dwelling hunter-gathers living on the upper slopes of Mt. 
Elgon around Chepkitale peak.  The Soy clan, traditional 
pastoralists and cultivators, reside on the lower slopes 
of Mt. Elgon. 
 
¶3.  (U) Violence escalated in Mt. Elgon in November 2006 
between the two Sabaot clans.  There has been tension and 
occasional violence between the two groups since 1971, 
when a settlement program brought them into conflict over 
land allocations.  The Ndorobo traditionally have a low 
status relative to the Soy.  The land settlement scheme 
was intended to make farmers of the Ndorobo so that they 
would no longer depend for their sustenance on the local 
flora and fauna in an ecologically unique and sensitive 
area.  The population living in the resettlement area has 
grown since the inception of the scheme, resulting in too 
little land available to accommodate the expanding 
population.  The most recent land allocations under Phase 
III of the settlement program resulted in the eviction of 
approximately 3,000 Soy by GOK security forces to clear 
land intended for resettled Ndorobo. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In addition to the complaint that the land 
allocations disproportionately benefit the Ndorobo at the 
expense of the Soy, the Soy accuse the government of 
corruption in land allocation decisions.  Local leaders and 
land officials are accused of distributing land unfairly in 
an attempt to reward particular communities at the expense 
of others.  It is alleged that following the recent 
eviction of the Soys, the government (involving numerous 
offices in the Provincial Administration and the Ministry 
for Lands, as well as a local Member of Parliament aligned 
with the government) distributed the land to its supporters 
as a reward for their YES vote in the 2005 Constitutional 
Referendum.  The Ndorobos, in general, are pro-government, 
as is the local MP. 
 
¶5.  (U) Members of the Soy clan have formed the Sabaot 
Land Defense Force (SLDF) to challenge the land allocations 
and protect their perceived land rights.  Recently, the 
SLDF evolved into an armed militia which has been fighting 
the government and attacking the beneficiaries of the 
allocations (predominately Ndorobos). 
 
¶6. (U) In the past six months, the SLDF carried out attacks 
against both the administration and the community.  Over 
144 people have already lost their lives in the conflict, 
with the number of killings escalating in recent weeks. 
Schools have been forced to close their doors due to poor 
security in the area, affecting thousands of students. 
The Kenya Red Cross reports over 61,700 people have been 
displaced, with many fleeing to the safety of neighboring 
communities in Uganda and other parts of Western Province. 
There are numerous reports of violence and rape used by the 
SLDF to intimidate families into fleeing their land. 
 
Strong Arm Tactics Contribute to Insecurity 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The government's response to the conflict thus far 
has been to fight fire with fire.  The increasing attacks 
by the SLDF prompted the government to declare the Mt. 
Elgon area "closed" to outsiders due to security concerns. 
The government deployed security forces to the area 
(estimated at between 550 and 650 police officers) to quell 
the violence in early 2007; however their arrival appears 
to be more incendiary than calming.  The death toll 
continues to rise.  The security forces themselves are 
accused of committing serious abuses against Mt. Elgon 
residents, particularly sexual abuses against women and 
children.  Their presence also contributes to tensions 
between the two contending communities because they are 
perceived to be victimizing (or punishing) the Soy while 
defending the Ndorobo. 
 
Death Toll Attracts GOK Attention 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Amid the rising death toll, 13 members of 
parliament (MPs) urged the Kibaki administration to step up 
its efforts to bring stability to the area and defuse 
tensions between the affected communities by promoting 
dialogue.  During the April 4 special session of parliament 
to discuss the conflict, members traded accusations of 
responsibility for fanning the flames of the conflict. 
Area MPs are accused of opportunistically fueling the 
conflict for political gain in an election year.  Internal 
Security Minister John Michuki laid the blame squarely at 
the feet of several MPs and announced that his policy of 
force was working.  Michuki outlined the government's 
response to date, saying almost 300 suspects have been 
arrested.  Michuki also urged the Ministry of Lands to 
expeditiously issue controversial title deeds to the 
(primarily Ndorobo) allottees.  Following the April 4th 
debates in parliament, the government spokesperson 
announced that the government was promoting dialogue 
between the administration and community leaders through 
the establishment of peace committees and offering amnesty 
to those who surrender their weapons. 
 
¶9.  (U)  Following more violence over the weekend in which 
the children of an assistant chief in the area were 
targeted and killed, the government announced on April 10 
the cancellation of all of the grief-giving Phase III land 
allotments.  Rather than cause for celebration, the 
announcement has engendered much confusion among Mt. Elgon 
residents.  The announcement casts additional controversy 
concerning the status of ownership for people who had 
assumed possession of the allotted land as well as for 
people who were evicted from the land identified for 
allotment.  The government has yet to clarify the status of 
the land under consideration for allotment.  Michuki is 
widely blamed for the deteriorating security situation in 
Mt. Elgon.  Numerous civil society organizations, prominent 
religious leaders and politicians are calling for his 
removal. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Comment:  Many of those calling for Michuki's 
removal have little interest in or knowledge of the Mt. 
Elgon communities.  Rather, they have other reasons for 
wanting to see the back of Michuki.  This issue is a 
convenient means to achieve that end.  Michuki is a crucial 
financial backer of President Kibaki.  We do not expect to 
see him go. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The roots of the Mt. Elgon conflict 
extend beyond the mere security threat posed by the SLDF. 
Unless the underlying causes of the conflict are adequately 
addressed, and not just "resolved" through arrests and 
reshuffling of title deeds, the resentment and disaffection 
of dispossessed communities will continue to simmer and 
threaten stability in the region.  Only by tackling the 
difficult problems inherent in the controversial land 
distribution program through a transparent, consultative 
and objective public process can the government bring 
lasting security to Mt. Elgon's residents. 
RANNEBERGER