R 090652Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6367
INFO AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 
AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 
AMEMBASSY ASMARA 
AMEMBASSY KIGALI

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001684 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KE
SUBJECT: July 4 Reception Advances Support for Coalition Government 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (U) Embassy Nairobi's tremendously successful July 4 reception 
was highlighted by the joint appearance of Prime Minster Odinga and 
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.  More than 2,000 guests witnessed 
the political rivals joining the Ambassador on the podium for 
speeches, all of which focused on support for the coalition 
government.  The presence of a large CODEL emphasized the strength 
of the U.S.-Kenya relationship.  End summary. 
 
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Kenyan Unity at July 4 Reception 
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¶2. (U) The July 4 reception, hosted by the Ambassador at his 
residence, was attended by over 2,000 guests from Parliament, the 
executive branch, civil society, religious groups, the private 
sector, the media, and Kenya's cultural community, among others. 
The event was made possible through funding donated by the American 
Chamber of Commerce. 
 
¶3. (U) Both Prime Minister Odinga and Vice President Musyoka 
attended and put on a display of unity by joining the Ambassador on 
the podium during his speech.  The Ambassador's remarks emphasized 
support for the coalition government tied to the achievement of 
results on institutional reform (see text of Ambassador's remarks in 
para 5).  The joint high-profile presence of Odinga and Musyoka, who 
are bitter rivals, was unprecedented since the formation of the 
coalition government (they have generally been together only in the 
presence of the President).  Still unresolved is the protocol order 
of the coalition government, but the two skirted the issue 
gracefully, with Musyoka acquiescing in Odinga's determination to 
make remarks on behalf of the government.  Indicating that he was 
also speaking on behalf of President Kibaki, Odinga lauded the 
decisive role played by the U.S. in helping resolve the Kenyan 
crisis, spoke in glowing terms of his visit to the U.S., and 
emphasized the commitment he and President Kibaki share to make the 
coalition work.  The speaker of Parliament jointed Musyoka and 
Odinga on the podium.  Congressman David Price, who was heading a 
6-member congressional delegation, also made remarks emphasizing 
U.S. support for the coalition government and the necessity for the 
government to deliver results for all the people of Kenya.  Other 
notable guests included Mama Obama, Senator Obama's grandmother, and 
Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. 
 
¶4. (U) The event was extensively and very positively covered on all 
the television stations, on radio, and in the print media.  A number 
of commentators noted that only the U.S. could have brought the two 
leaders and such a diverse cross-section of Kenya together.  Many 
guests attending the reception expressed warm gratitude for the role 
that the U.S. played to "save Kenya," and welcomed our continuing 
engagement to keep the process on track. 
 
¶5. (U) Begin text of Ambassador's remarks. 
 
Leaders of the Coalition Government, Honorable Ministers, 
Colleagues, Guests, and Friends: 
 
I want to extend a very warm welcome to all of you who have joined 
us to celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the independence of the 
United States of America.  I also want to note that we are 
particularly honored to have with us a distinguished U.S. 
Congressional Delegation headed by Representative David Price of 
North Carolina.  Here in Kenya, we are making this event a 
celebration of the vibrant, strong, and expanding partnership 
between our two countries.  This is fitting because that partnership 
is based on the democratic values and friendship we share. 
 
Those universal democratic values were immortally articulated by one 
of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of 
Independence:  "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all 
men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with 
certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness.  That to secure these rights, governments 
are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the 
consent of the governed." 
 
During the past 231 years Americans have consolidated institutions 
intended to ensure democratic government of, by, and for the people. 
 In light of the profound crisis that gripped Kenya earlier this 
year, it is particularly relevant to recall that the progress the 
people of the United States have made over these many years has 
often been difficult, sometimes painfully slow, and occasionally 
bloody.  Examining this history tells us with certainty that the 
process of building democracy is never easy and is never complete. 
 
To the extent we have been successful, we have benefited from the 
extraordinary achievement of our founding fathers, for they put in 
place a constitutional framework based on the principle of checks 
and balances.  That system was based on a hard-headed assessment 
that, in order to protect the interests of all citizens, the power 
of any one institution, individual, or group must be limited. 
Indeed, the challenge to balance respect for the will of the 
majority with the necessity to protect the rights of minorities is a 
constant struggle in all democracies. 
 
As we reflect upon this independence anniversary and the partnership 
we share, I am reminded of the Kenyan proverb:  "Nia zikiwa moja 
kilicho mbali huja (no matter their differences, people working 
toward similar goals can achieve them).  The Kenyan people deserve 
enormous credit for coming together to overcome the crisis that 
threatened to tear apart the fabric of their nation.  They did this 
ultimately by drawing on their shared values and their shared goals 
to strengthen the country's democracy, society, and economy.  The 
coalition government is rightly based on shared interests. 
 
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Kenyan people 
for never having deviated from the democratic path, and for, in 
effect, constituting a new model for the democracies of the 
developing world.  On behalf of the United States, I also want to 
commend President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga for demonstrating 
patriotic leadership by making difficult compromises for the good of 
all Kenyans.  The recent official visit of the Prime Minister to 
Washington highlighted my country's support for the coalition 
government and our determination to help it deliver tangible results 
for the Kenyan people. 
 
We recognize the commitment of the coalition government to deliver 
on its promise to carry out fundamental institutional reform in 
order to address the underlying grievances revealed by the crisis. 
We join the Kenyan people in looking forward to timely results with 
respect to constitutional reform, electoral reform, and land reform. 
 We join the Kenyan people in wanting to see credible results from 
the various commissions formed as a result of the national political 
accord.  Indeed, the future of our bilateral relationship is 
inextricably tied to the progress of democracy in Kenya. 
 
Among the many things that we share, the United States and Kenya are 
both communities which encompass great diversity of cultures, ethnic 
and racial groups, and religions. The history of our two countries - 
ours going back centuries, Kenya's only decades - shows that 
diversity enriches and strengthens our nations if we learn to value 
it. Though we Americans have had far more time to build our 
democracy than Kenya has, we can truly say that neither democratic 
system is perfect.  In the U.S. - as in Kenya -- we struggle to 
fight corruption, to promote communal harmony, to foster security, 
and to bring about gender equity.  Acutely aware of our own 
imperfections and limitations, we support the efforts of the Kenyan 
people to address these difficult challenges.  But we need to follow 
the Swahili saying that "kila mlango na ufunguo wake" (every door 
has its own key) because it is up to Kenyans to solve their problems 
in their own ways.  At the same time, we must be quick to remember 
that "kinyozi hajinyoi" (a barber does not shave himself).  As a 
reliable friend, we will continue to assist your efforts and to 
support the positive momentum underway. 
 
As a symbol of the rich partnership between the United States and 
Kenya, I invite you to witness, immediately following these remarks, 
the dedication of the new rose garden that is "dedicated to peace 
and to the U.S.-Kenyan partnership." 
 
Americans and Kenyans share a belief in the power of the collective 
spirit, profoundly illustrated by both countries' journeys to 
independence.  I am struck by three Swahili sayings that seem to 
capture, long before America was founded, a sense of our mutual 
faith in the will of the people.  One says:  Penye wengi pana Mungu 
(Where there are many people, there God is); our pledge of 
allegiance speaks of "one nation under God."  Another reads:  "Umoja 
ni nguvu" (unity is strength); the inscription on our currency is 
"one from many." Yet another reads:  Panapo wengi hapaharibiki neno 
(where there are many, nothing goes wrong).  Ladies and gentlemen, 
we are many gathered here, and we trust that this gathering and our 
future efforts together will be blessed. 
 
Please join me in raising our glasses in a toast to the 232nd 
anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, to 
Kenya's democratic progress, and to the partnership between the 
United States and Kenya. 
 
Ahsanteni sana na Mungu awabariki. 
 
End text. 
 
 
RANNEBERGER