VZCZCXYZ0019
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNR #0354/01 0321306
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011306Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4531

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000354 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/ES-O/CMS, AF/E, AF/EX, CA/OCS/ACS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC AMGT CASC PGOV EAID ECON PHUM PREL KE
SUBJECT: KENYA - FEBRUARY 1 SITREP 
 
SENSITIVE-BUT-UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT FOR RELEASE OUTSIDE USG CHANNELS. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: The talks continue, but there are 
signs that the PNU continues to search for means of peeling away ODM 
members of parliament, encouraging ODM schisms and otherwise finding 
a way out that does not involve actual power sharing with Raila 
Odinga.  The ODM tried unsuccessfully to challenge the sitting at 
the AU Summit of the GoK delegation led by Kibaki.  The UN Secretary 
General came to Nairobi on a 12 hour visit, mainly to coordinate 
with his predecessor, Kofi Annan.  In addition to Annan, he met with 
Raila Odinga and VP Musyoka. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SECURITY SITUATION: No major reports of violence were 
received today for all parts of Kenya.  All areas affected 
throughout the past week continue to be tense and threats of 
evictions and attacks by rival tribes remain active.  RSO continues 
to be laden with rumors of activity outside Nairobi, but to date, no 
Mission facilities or U.S. personnel have fallen victim to the 
violence.  Personnel working in the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 
office located inside the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) 
facility bordering Kibera, a High Density/Low Income (HD/LI) suburb 
outside Nairobi, have witnessed violence in the area, but to date, 
have not felt threatened or concerned that such violence would turn 
toward their office.  A visit by an ARSO on 30 January 2008 
confirmed that the CDC/KEMRI facility and personnel are not 
presently affected by the violence, but constant monitoring of this 
area continues.  Additional guards have been added at the request of 
CDC and a review of the facility's physical security assets is 
currently taking place. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) U.S. MISSION POSTURE: The last four USDH have been 
successfully withdrawn from Kisumu and Kericho.  Dr. Shaffer 
departed Kericho Thursday evening aboard the Tea Plantation shuttle 
flight.  Col. Walsh, LtC. Polhemus, and Capt. Hicks flew to Nairobi 
on commercial air Friday morning.  All Kisumu and Kericho USDH and 
family members are now in Nairobi or outside Kenya.  Administrative 
issues, temporary lodging, medical care, and transportation issues 
are being addressed for them.  CDC operations in Kisumu are tended 
by their remaining FSN staff and the KEMRI Cooperative Agreement 
personnel, who can maintain administrative operations to the extent 
security conditions allow but will not have the benefit of technical 
guidance from the USDH staff that have been withdrawn.  Similarly, 
MRU projects in Kisumu and Kericho are essentially in caretaker 
status until USDH personnel can return.  In Nairobi, all Embassy 
offices are open.  In-country travel clearance procedures have been 
published requiring RSO and DCM approval of all official and 
personal travel outside Nairobi.  Schools are open and operating 
normally.  Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is open, 
flights are operating normally, and access roads are unobstructed. 
Office and residential electricity and water systems are 
operational, and fuel tanks for generators and vehicles are topped 
up.  A scheduled outage of the official communication circuits for 
Friday evening has been postponed.  Communication circuits, IVG 
lines, E&E radio net, cellphones/SMS, and Blackberries are fully 
operational.  Mission Kenya actual staffing on board today is: Total 
USDH/USPSC - 254; total EFM - 352; total LES/FSN/PSA 682; total 
long-term TDY -- 178; total short-term TDY - 43; PCVs -- 62.  Total 
USDH in Kisumu and environs - 0 (zero). 
 
¶4.  (SBU) HUMANITARIAN SITUATION:  USAID staff report that despite 
strong early efforts by the Government of Kenya's Ministry of Health 
(MoH) to address emergency health needs in the current crisis, 
services are declining and current demands are beyond MoH's capacity 
to respond.  An increased number of hospital admissions, including 
rape, trauma, and surgical cases are overwhelming the capacity of 
some hospitals, particularly in Nairobi and Nakuru.  In addition, 
some hospitals and clinics are closing intermittently since health 
staff are unable to travel to work due to security concerns.  The UN 
World Health Organization has provided approximately USD 127,290 to 
the MoH to support basic emergency health services in 20 districts. 
In addition, USAID health staff recommend drawing on support from 
community and faith-based organizations to provide logistics, 
financial, and other assistance to maintain basic health services. 
USAID's Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance is funding the UN 
Children's Fund to provide additional emergency health services to 
populations affected by the crisis. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) U.S. CITIZENS:  Yesterday's murder in Eldoret of a member 
of parliament triggered rioting in several cities.  Post's warden in 
Eldoret reported that Kericho experienced rioting, some of which was 
in the neighborhood of the Walter Reed medical research facility. 
The facility was not harmed and Amcits were not targeted.  In fact, 
a Walter Reed employee stationed in Kericho noted that the local 
population is very respectful of Walter Reed facilities and 
employees.  The Eldoret warden stated that Eldoret city itself was 
quiet last night and this morning, although he experienced some 
burnt cars and downed wires on the road from Eldoret to Turbo, a 
small town approximately 25 km northwest from Eldoret.  Nakuru 
warden reported calm and quiet, although he stated that he passed 
some burning houses on the road north from Nakuru to Baringo.  Some 
of his colleagues traveled from Nakuru to Nairobi (south bound) by 
road and reported no problems.  Kisumu reported that events were 
tumultuous yesterday after the announcement of the MP's murder, but 
that by nightfall all was calm, which carried over to today.  Kisumu 
did report that one Amcit left on a commercial flight this morning 
and is headed back to the U.S.  Naivasha reported all calm and 
quiet.  The Consular Section has received no reports of clashes in 
other parts of the country nor have we received requests for 
assistance from Amcits.  Post issued an updated Travel Alert today 
via the warden system, as well as a warden message asking all Amcits 
in need of assistance to contact the Consular Section.  Specific 
contact information was provided in this warden message.  Post is 
planning a Town Hall meeting for private American citizens on Feb 5 
at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: UN SyG Ban Ki Moon arrived at about 
11:00 at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.  The SyG 
will proceed to a meeting with ODM leader Odinga.  Yesterday, he met 
with Kibaki who is attending the African Union heads of state 
meeting in Addis Ababa.  After speaking with Odinga, the SyG will 
proceed to the UN campus (across the street from the Embassy) for an 
informal lunch with the top UN staff.  The topic of keen interest 
will be the security situation and UN contingency planning for UNON 
as well as the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) and the UN Human 
Settlements Program (UN Habitat) as the global headquarters of the 
latter two are located in Nairobi. 
Rannenberger