VZCZCXRO0731
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #2567/01 1711420
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201420Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0521
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 002567 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12058:N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG PREL PGOV KE
SUBJECT:  Trafficking in Persons:  Ambassador?s Trip 
to Kenya Coast, GTIP Report Rollout, and Day of the 
African Child 
 
REF: A)06NAIROBI04070 B) NAIROBI01775 
C)06NAIROBI04841 
 
¶1. Summary.  See para 8 for action request. The 
combination of the Ambassador?s visit to the Kenyan 
coast, the rollout of the GTIP annual report, and 
celebrations of the Day of the African Child cast a 
spotlight on the problems of trafficking and sex 
tourism in Kenya.  As a result of the Ambassador?s 
meeting with government and non-governmental 
stakeholders on the coast, a working group is being 
formed to intensify coordination.  The Mission has 
taken the lead to mobilize donor coordination and 
continues to press the government to take more 
effective action to combat the problem.  End summary. 
 
¶2. The Ambassador focused extensively on trafficking in 
persons during a June 10-14 visit to the Kenyan coast. 
This was timed to support rollout of the annual 
Trafficking in Persons Report and celebration of the 
Day of the African Child on June 16. 
 
--------------------- 
Visit to the Coast 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. The Ambassador?s visit focused on the north-central 
coastal area of Malindi and Kilifi.  This area (which 
generates 60 percent of coastal tourism revenue) is 
ground zero in terms of trafficking in Kenya (ref A). 
The area is particularly prey to sex tourism, which 
involves local underage girls as well as those 
trafficked to the area from the interior.  During the 
visit, the Ambassador discussed the problem with 
government officials, the police, the media, private 
sector representatives from the tourist industry, 
religious groups, and non-governmental organizations. 
All agreed that the problem is one of the most serious 
affecting the Malindi area and the coast more broadly 
(along with increased drug trafficking and poor 
infrastructure; see septel trip report). The Ambassador 
briefed all interlocutors on U.S. assistance to combat 
trafficking, including having taken the lead to 
establish a donor working group to coordinate efforts. 
 
¶4. The District Commissioner of Malindi, a woman, 
emphasized her concerns about sex tourism.  She noted 
that Italian tourists, and to a lesser extent Brits and 
Germans, are the foreign nationalities mainly engaging 
in this illicit practice.  In addition, a recent UNICEF 
report indicated that 40% of the clients of underage 
prostitutes are Kenyans.  The District Commissioner 
described her efforts to work with the local hotel 
industry and non-governmental groups to raise awareness 
and to combat sex tourism and trafficking.  The young 
Mayor of Malindi echoed these comments.  He indicated 
that some trafficking is disguised as sham ?marriages.? 
The increase in sex tourism during the past decade has 
stimulated an influx of young girls from interior 
regions of Kenya, he said. Both the District 
Commissioner and the Mayor stated that lack of police 
resources coupled with a very ineffective judicial 
system impede effective action.  The District 
Commissioner of Kalifi expressed similar sentiments. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Ambassador?s Meeting with Stakeholders and Formation of 
Working Group 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5. The Ambassador highlighted the trafficking in 
persons issue through a meeting he chaired with about 
50 stakeholders, including government officials and 
non-governmental representatives.  The media covered 
the entire meeting.  The Ambassador reviewed the extent 
of the problem and described what the U.S. is doing to 
assist Kenya to combat it.  He proposed that the 
stakeholders form a working group in order to increase 
coordination and effectiveness.  The District 
Commissioner welcomed the suggestion and agreed to 
chair the group. 
 
¶6. The assistant district commissioner noted that new 
legislation against trafficking is urgently needed (a 
draft bill is pending with the Attorney General and we 
are pushing to have it presented in Parliament as 
quickly as possible).  He emphasized the importance of 
raising awareness and pressing more tourist 
establishments to sign the private sector?s code of 
conduct. (Sex tourism in the area is somewhat 
camouflaged by the use of private villas and 
 
NAIROBI 00002567  002 OF 003 
 
 
unregistered hotels.)  The head of the police 
underscored his commitment to combating trafficking, 
but said resources are not sufficient.  He said he 
would explore establishment of a hot line that the 
public could call.  (Note:  In the weeks prior to the 
hosting of a major international cross country 
competition in Mombasa earlier this year, the police 
successfully cleared the streets and clubs of "idlers," 
meaning prostitutes, drug dealers and others who work 
the underbelly of the tourist market.  After the event, 
it was business as usual in Mombasa.  End Note.) 
 
¶7. Religious and non-governmental groups talked 
extensively about the problem and what they are doing. 
The Catholic Archbishop for the coast, who came to 
Malindi from Mombasa just for the meeting, announced 
that the Church has set aside one of its properties to 
serve as a rescue center.  The property needs to be 
renovated and he appealed for assistance. (Separately, 
Christian religious leaders told the Ambassador they 
are working together to raise awareness about sex 
tourism and trafficking.) Solidarity With Women in 
Distress (Solwodi) described the strong role it is 
playing with U.S. support (the NGO has received 100,000 
dollars from the U.S. for anti-trafficking activities). 
The American Federation of Labor representative 
described what the AFL is doing, with 25,000 USD of 
U.S. funding, to raise awareness among workers in the 
hotel and tourism industry and using them to help 
rescue trafficked girls.  A representative of the local 
hotel industry reviewed the efforts being made to 
expand adherence to the code of conduct. 
 
------------------------ 
Need for Assistance 
------------------------ 
 
¶8. Action requested:  We have forwarded to GTIP a 
proposal to assist Solwodi to refurbish the site 
offered by the Catholic Church for a rescue shelter. 
We urge support for this worthwhile project (ref B). 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Day of the African Child and Vice President?s 
Leadership 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶9. During meetings on the coast, a number of 
interlocutors referred to the positive leadership that 
Vice President Awori has exercised on the problems of 
trafficking and sex tourism.  That leadership was 
highlighted by Awori?s presiding of the celebration of 
the Day of the African Child in Mombasa on June 16.  He 
made the theme of the event ?combating child 
trafficking.?  The Vice President used the occasion to 
stress the seriousness of the government?s commitment 
to combat trafficking.  A 14-year old girl, Naomi 
Akinyi, was one of the formal speakers.  She presented 
the Vice President and reps from UNICEF, Ministry of 
Home Affairs, IOM, Kenya Alliance for Advancement of 
Children (KAACR) and Plan International with a 
?memorandum? outlining the problem and the actions that 
need to be taken.  The Coast Provincial Commissioner 
and the Provincial Police chief were also present, with 
the Provincial Commissioner pledging assistance and 
quick government intervention if called upon to help 
participants and victims. 
 
----------------------------- 
Media and TIP Report Rollout 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10. The combination of the Ambassador?s visit to the 
coast, the rollout of the TIP report, and the Day of 
the African Child generated considerable media focus on 
the problem of trafficking in persons and sex tourism. 
Media coverage generally called attention to these 
issues as major concerns and highlighted the need for 
the government to do more to combat it. 
 
¶11. The TIP stakeholders meeting and Ambassador?s 
comments were extensively reported in the national 
Kenyan media.  The Ambassador also did a one-hour 
interview with the main coastal radio station. The fact 
that this media coverage coincided with release of the 
annual TIP report cast a spotlight on the issue.  The 
Ambassador?s comments and TIP report were welcomed in 
media commentary as usefully highlighting that Kenya 
must focus on this issue and do more to combat the 
problem. 
 
 
NAIROBI 00002567  003 OF 003 
 
 
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Comment 
----------- 
 
¶12. The growing awareness that trafficking and the 
related problem of sex tourism are major problems in 
Kenya is encouraging.  Apart from the media spotlight 
resulting from the combination of the Ambassador?s 
visit to the coast, release of the TIP report, and 
celebrations for the Day of the African Child, the 
media regularly focuses on the issue.  The Vice 
President?s leadership has energized local authorities 
and government departments to focus on the problem, but 
lack of resources impedes more effective action.  While 
there have been some positive developments ? including 
the ongoing prosecution of several traffickers on the 
coast as previously reported (ref C) ? much more 
remains to be done. 
 
¶13. This Mission took the lead last fall to form a 
donor working group on the trafficking issue.  We will 
continue to press the government to devote more 
resources to this problem and to take effective action. 
The Mission is also following and has continued to 
offer support to the Office of the Vice President to 
set up the much talked about Inter-Ministerial 
Committee that will be composed of ministries dealing 
with TIP matters. 
RANNEBERGER