VZCZCXRO0850
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #2736 3431358
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081358Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7834
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 6212
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2991
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2884
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA  PRIORITY
RUZEFAA/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002736 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR PTER PREL KE SO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY CONCURRENCE FOR FY09 AFRICOM 1206 MARITIME 
SECURITY PROPOSAL 
 
¶1. Embassy Nairobi has reviewed and supports AFRICOM's 
proposal to help the Kenyan Navy build its maritime capacity 
to counter the threat posed by terrorist organizations 
operating from Somalia. 
 
¶2. Kenya's naval capacity has always been weak, and Kenya's 
overall security has suffered as a result: drug and human 
trafficking, illegal fishing, and smuggling are 
all-too-common occurrences.  More worryingly, Islamic 
militants fighting in Somalia -- who have already 
demonstrated links with al Qaida -- can easily use Kenya's 
coastal areas to transport equipment, weapons, and personnel. 
 Kenyan security forces on land have interdicted weapons 
shipments with the assistance of intelligence and specially 
trained forces.  Unfortunately, the Kenyan navy has no real 
capacity to do this at sea.  The navy does not have enough 
patrol boats to cover its coastal waters, existing boats are 
in need of repair, and there is little to no awareness of 
maritime traffic patterns that could facilitate effective 
interdictions. 
 
¶3. The timing of this proposal is critical given the recent 
spike in piracy attacks against commercial and passenger 
ships.  Senior Kenyan defense officials believe that the 
pirates will establish links with terrorist organizations 
like al Shabaab and al Qaida in the not-too-distant future. 
While the Government of Kenya has in the past neglected the 
development of its naval service, the navy's glaring 
deficiencies have come under the spotlight during the recent 
spate of piracy attacks.  Kenyan government officials have 
expressed to us in a number of fora their desire to 
fast-track the development of their navy.  The Kenyan navy is 
doing the best it can with what it has -- even if it means 
mounting outdated G-3 rifles to the gunwales of its patrol 
boats.  Given the nature of the threat, however, these 
efforts will not be enough. 
 
¶4. The 1206 proposal aims to provide basic training, 
equipment, and infrastructure improvement to help the Kenyan 
navy extend its reach, improve its skills, and increase its 
operational tempo.  The basic improvement in Kenya's maritime 
capacity should have a cascading beneficial effect in areas 
like smuggling and drug/human trafficking.  However, the most 
crucial benefits will accrue when Kenya's navy is able to 
deny al Shabaab and al Qaida-affiliated militants the freedom 
to operate in Kenya's coastal waters. 
RANNEBERGER