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DE RUEHNR #2839/01 3531347
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P 181347Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8007
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 3148
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 1721

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002839 
 
STATE PASS USTR CONNIE HAMILTON, PATRICK DEAN COLEMAN, AND WILLIAM 
JACKSON 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AND AF/EPS ANN BREITER, GABRIELLE MALLORY, 
AND TAWANNA DAVIDSON 
 
STATE ALSO FOR EEB/TPP/BTA AMY HOLMAN 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID/EA 
 
TREASURY FOR REBECCA KLEIN 
 
COMMERCE FOR KEVIN BOYD AND BECKY ERKUL 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC AMGT ECON ETRD AGOA PGOV PREL KE
SUBJECT: KENYA -- 2009 AGOA FORUM UPDATE 
 
REFS: (A) NAIROBI 2594  (B) STATE 114398 
      (C) NAIROBI 2224 
 
¶1.  This cable is not/not for internet distribution. 
 
¶2.  Summary.  Pending confirmation from the Office of the President, 
Kenya is now likely to propose hosting the 2009 AGOA Forum in 
Nairobi during the August 3-7 timeframe versus the originally 
proposed timeframe of August 9-14.  The preferred venue remains the 
Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) in downtown Nairobi. 
 Ministry of Trade (MOT) Secretary for External Trade Simon Chacha 
Nyangi, the chair of Kenya's 2009 AGOA Forum national organizing 
committee, told US Mission representatives on December 18 that he 
expects the Office of the Presidency to approve the dates and venue 
by December 19.  As soon as we have written confirmation of the 
Kenyan proposal, we will forward for Washington concurrence.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶3.  The Government of Kenya (GOK) has begun its preparations for the 
2009 AGOA Forum in earnest.  On December 18, the GOK's 2009 AGOA 
Forum Main Preparatory Committee held its fifth session, four of 
which have included representatives of the U.S. Mission.  It will 
hold its next session on January 15, 2009.  The main preparatory 
committee has also set up multiple subcommittees:  conference and 
accreditation; hospitality, protocol and accommodation; private 
sector; publicity; civil society; technical (substantive program), 
transport, security and finance.  U.S. Mission members have been 
assigned to and are working with virtually all of the AGOA 
subcommittees. 
 
---------------------------- 
Different Time, Same Station 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  Chaired by Kenyan Ministry of Trade (MOT) Secretary for External 
Trade Simon Chacha Nyangi, the main committee resolved in its 
November 26 and December 10 sessions to recommend to President Mwai 
Kibaki and his Cabinet that Kenya host the 2009 AGOA Forum between 
August 3-7 versus the dates, August 9-14, originally proposed (ref 
A).  Chacha reiterated that the forum would be held at the Kenyatta 
International Conference Center (KICC) located in downtown Nairobi. 
KICC committee representative Bernard Asoro said the conference 
center has been reserved for the August 3-7 timeframe. 
 
¶5.  During December 10 and December 18 main preparatory meetings, 
Chacha told committee attendees that his ministry expects the Office 
of the Presidency to approve the date and venue by December 19. 
(Note: US Mission RSO, MGT, and GSO personnel have already carefully 
surveyed the KICC and the nearby Intercontinental Hotel, where we 
propose to block rooms for the official USG delegation.  MGT and GSO 
have also reviewed facilities and the availability of rooms at other 
hotels convenient to the KICC.) 
 
--------------------------- 
Progress on Joint Statement 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  The GOK's AGOA publicity subcommittee is coordinating with U.S. 
Mission Kenya PAO on the drafting and timing of a formal joint 
statement announcing the forum.  We reminded the Kenyans that the 
embassy would first have to get USG concurrence on the statement's 
wording before it could be released, preferably by mid-January. 
Current thinking is that the announcement would be accompanied by a 
joint press conference in Nairobi hosted by Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of Trade Uhuru Kenyatta and Ambassador Ranneberger. 
Following the publicity subcommittee's report, the general committee 
resolved to have the forum's website on line by December 15, but it 
now appears that the government will not have the website running 
before mid-January. 
 
----------------------------- 
Theme and Program Suggestions 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7.  The 2009 AGOA Forum technical subcommittee, charged with the 
forum's program, has come up with the following proposal for the 
Forum's theme:  AGOA 8 Years On:  Bridging the Gap to Realize Its 
Full Potential.  The Main Committee has not yet signed off on this 
suggestion and we welcome Washington input as this process 
continues. 
 
¶8.  The technical subcommittee, led by MOT Commercial Officer Lina 
Ochieng, also outlined 10 prospective topics for break-out 
sessions: 
 
-- Agriculture:  Value Addition and Branding (agro-processing), and 
Investment Opportunities in Agri-business 
 
-- Textiles:  Category 9, Vertical Integration, and AGOA Challenges 
(e.g. third country fabric, safeguard measures) 
 
-- SME Programs 
 
-- Infrastructure:  Transport - road, rail, airport, port and ICT 
 
-- Finance:  Sources of Finance 
 
-- Private Investment:  Alternative Sources of Energy, 
Private-Public Partnership, and Conducive Investment Environment 
 
-- Contemporary Global Challenges:  Global Warming, Security 
(bio-terrorism, piracy), Health (AIDS, malaria), Global Recession 
 
-- Market Development:  Product/Regional Promotion, Product 
Development 
 
-- Regulatory Regimes:  Quality Standards, SPS 
 
-- Technical Assistance:  Technology 
 
¶9.  Ochieng assured participants that, in addition to the USG, the 
GOK will solicit input from African governments and resident 
missions as it crafts the forum's theme and agenda.  In terms of the 
overall program for the Forum, Ochieng envisions Kenya chairing the 
Africa consultations on day one, followed by the ministerial on day 
two, then the private sector and civil society events on day three. 
Kenya is contemplating holding a March 2009 pre-ministerial of 
African participants to prepare for the forum. 
 
------------------------------ 
Security Preparations Underway 
------------------------------ 
 
¶10.  Security subcommittee chairman Henry Barmao representing the 
Commissioner of Police reassured everyone that the security forces 
will be well prepared for all contingencies.  He commented favorably 
that the police force already enjoys a close working relationship 
with US Embassy RSO.  Embassy security officers have begun 
participating in this subcommittee. 
 
---------------------------- 
Private Sector Participation 
---------------------------- 
 
¶11.  Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) assistant executive 
officer Joseph Wairiuko cited the numerous trade organizations, 
including the American Chamber of Commerce of Kenya (ACCK), now part 
of the private sector subcommittee (FCS SCO, USAID and ECON are also 
members).  Wairiuko and representatives of Kenya's Export Promotion 
Council and Export Processing Zones Authority discussed various ways 
of involving local businesses, notably Kenya Airways, in getting the 
word out about the forum.  We recommended that the subcommittee 
likewise reach out to Delta Airlines and the Corporate Council on 
Africa (CCA; we have subsequently included preparatory committee 
leaders in an email to CCA establishing contact).  Referring to 
recent trade delegations from Dallas, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, 
and Miami, we reminded general committee members not to overlook 
Nairobi's Sister Cities as another vehicle to recruit private sector 
participation.  US Mission officers also encouraged the private 
sector subcommittee to develop contacts with the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce, the USA-Kenya Chamber of Commerce based in Philadelphia, 
the African Chamber of Commerce DFW, the USAID-supported Kenya 
 
Horticulture Development Program, Fintrac, the Fresh Produce 
Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), and other trade promotion 
agencies. 
 
¶12.  Wairiuko said his subcommittee would craft a website targeting 
the private sector.  Emboffs passed the message from the USG DC AGOA 
interagency committee that forum registration documents should be 
easily accessed, completed, and submitted.  We reiterated our view 
that post-forum events, such as pre-packaged trips to the world 
famous game reserve at Maasai Mara or Lake Nakuru National Park, 
ought to be advertised on the forum website to increase attendance 
and generate tourism.  The Kenyans already are planning a "bush 
dinner" for the expected 1,000 participants at Nairobi National 
Park. 
 
¶13.  Wairiuko added that the private sector subcommittee envisions 
cutting off registrations in May.  This generated considerable, 
unresolved debate on a general registration deadline.  Several 
argued for a lenient one, stretching into mid-July, with fees 
calibrated along "early bird" ($150), before the deadline, and after 
the deadline. 
 
-------------------- 
Budget Deliberations 
-------------------- 
 
¶14.  At the December 10 preparatory meeting, Chacha led a 
line-by-line evaluation of budgetary requests made by all the 
subcommittees, except for security.  Considerable slashing was done, 
especially of requests submitted by the transportation, publicity, 
and civil society subcommittees.  Chacha instructed the technical 
subcommittee to scrub all subcommittee budget projections and 
provide an acceptable overall budget for review and approval on 
December 18.  At the December 18 meeting, the main preparatory 
committee tentatively approved a budget of nearly 135 million 
shillings (about $1.75 million), subject to funding restraints. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Principal GOK 2009 AGOA Forum Contacts 
-------------------------------------- 
 
Simon Chacha Nyangi 
Secretary for External Trade, Ministry of Trade 
Chairman, GOK 2009 AGOA Forum Main Preparatory Committee 
Email: snyangi@tradeandindustry.go.ke 
Cell Phone: 254-722-523-114 
 
Lina Ochieng 
Senior Commercial Officer, Ministry of Trade 
Chair, GOK 2009 AGOA Forum Technical Subcommittee 
Email: linaochieng@hotmail.com 
Cell Phone: 254-729-829-363 
 
Catherine Kiiri 
Senior Administrative Assistant, Ministry of Trade 
Secretary, GOK 2009 AGOA Forum Main Preparatory Committee 
Email: ckiiri@yahoo.com 
Cell Phone: 254-738-408-115 
Direct Line: 254-20-222-8271 
 
Ranneberger