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DE RUEHNR #0421/01 0611223
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021223Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8699
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 3186
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 1765
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0426
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0525
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 6378
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 0056
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3168
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 5275

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000421 
 
STATE PASS USTR CONNIE HAMILTON, PATRICK DEAN COLEMAN, AND WILLIAM 
JACKSON 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AND AF/EPS ANN BREITER, GABRIELLE MALLORY, 
MARY B. JOHNSON, AND TAWANNA DAVIDSON 
 
STATE ALSO FOR AF/EX SYLVIE MARTINEZ AND SONJA WRAY-BROWN 
 
AF/PD FOR CLAUDIA ANYASO 
 
STATE ALSO FOR EEB/TPP/BTA AMY HOLMAN 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID/EA AND USAID/AFR/SD BRUNO CORNELIO AND JEFF 
MALLICK 
 
TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS AND REBECCA KLEIN 
 
COMMERCE FOR KEVIN BOYD, ALICIA ROBINSON, AND BECKY ERKUL 
 
AGRICULTURE FOR DON EVANS AND CATHY MCKINNELL 
 
LABOR FOR SUDHA HALEY AND MAUREEN PETTIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC AMGT ECON ETRD AGOA PGOV PREL KE
SUBJECT: KENYA PROVIDES FULL THREE-DAY AGOA PROGRAM 
 
REFS: (A) NAIROBI 325 
      (B) NAIROBI 372 
 
¶1.  This cable is not/not for internet distribution. 
 
¶2.  Summary.  During the February 26 meeting of the Government of 
Kenya's (GOK) AGOA Preparatory Committee, the Technical 
Sub-committee provided a full three-day AGOA Forum program (see para 
7 below).  It also announced a separate pre-meeting of AGOA experts 
from each participating AGOA-eligible country to take place August 
3, the day before the official start of the AGOA Forum.  The 
proposed program has been approved by AGOA-eligible African missions 
in Washington.  Private sector representatives, supported by the 
GOK, continued to emphasize their view that the private sector/civil 
society agenda remains on August 4, the first day of the full 
three-day program.  ECON/C reiterated the USG interagency group's 
position that the standing AGOA Forum format should remain unchanged 
(see action request para 8) and presented the USG-approved theme - 
Advancing Development through Trade and Investment Expansion.  End 
Summary. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Private Sector/Civil Society Participation 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  At the February 26 meeting of the Government of Kenya's (GOK) 
2009 AGOA Forum Preparatory Meeting, Lina Ochieng, Chair of the AGOA 
Forum Technical sub-committee, presented the group with two draft 
programs: the Africa-United States Ministerial Program (ref B) and a 
full three-day program.  The proposed program includes a one-day 
pre-forum "experts" meeting of government officials from the 
AGOA-eligible countries on August 3, a separate event from the 
three-day official forum program.  The purpose of this pre-meeting 
is for government officials from the participating African countries 
to prepare for the official forum in advance of the arrival of their 
principals.  Note.  Both proposed agendas continue to use Kenya's 
proposed theme "Realizing the Full Potential of AGOA: Bridging the 
Gap."  End Note. 
 
¶4.  As evidenced by the proposed program, the private sector 
representatives, supported by the GOK, continue to push for a 
private sector/civil society day on August 4, the first day of the 
forum.  The purpose of the meeting, viewed as a "pre-meeting" to the 
official opening of the forum, is to consolidate an agenda for more 
effectively utilizing AGOA preferences and expanding the US-Africa 
trade relationship.  Discussions are underway to clarify the exact 
structure of the event and the expectations of the Private Sector 
vis-a-vis high-level participants in the forum.  The meeting will be 
used to vet AGOA strategy papers relevant to promoting trade in 
AGOA-eligible sectors and for developing a concise set of 
recommendations that will be presented at the AGOA Forum.  ECON/C 
reiterated the USG interagency group's decision to retain the 
standing format of the forum with the private sector/civil society 
program on August 6 (ref A).  The AGOA interagency group can expect 
the Kenyan and/or other AGOA-eligible embassies in Washington, DC to 
raise this issue as they have jointly approved the proposed full 
three-day program.  The Technical Chair also stated that the private 
sector stakeholders would like to see more US private sector 
involvement in the forum, an outcome from the recent EAC AGOA 
meeting held in Bujumbura. 
 
------------------------------ 
Kenyan AGOA Forum Preparations 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  The Kenyan AGOA team continues to make progress on the Forum 
preparations.  The following are highlights of the progress: 
 
-- The Chair of the Technical Sub-Committee was expected to send 
invitations for the forum to the trade ministers of AGOA-eligible 
countries by the end of the week of February 23. 
 
-- The Publicity Sub-Committee announced that the local AGOA forum 
web site - www.agoaforumkenya.go.ke - would be launched by the end 
of the day.  In fact, the website, though largely under 
construction, is up and running. 
 
-- The full Committee has commissioned designs for a conference logo 
that, once one has been selected, be forwarded to Washington for 
consultation. 
 
-- Kenyan Embassy in Washington is working with the Corporate 
Council on Africa and the Whitaker Group on U.S. private sector 
participation in the forum. 
 
¶6.  At the meeting, ECON/C presented the USG-approved theme - 
Advancing Development through Trade and Investment Expansion. 
ECON/C indicated that the purpose of the broader theme is to be 
forward-looking, focusing the forum on progress and challenges.  The 
Kenyans will deliberate on the USG-proposed theme in the various 
sub-committees and provide their consensus at the next full 
Preparatory Committee meeting on March 12.  ECON/C also announced 
and led discussions regarding the expected interagency advance trip. 
 The Committee concluded that the preferred date of the trip is 
March 23-27 (ref B).  The Committee Chair stated that all 
sub-committees should be well prepared for the expected visit by 
USG.  Finally, ECON/C reiterated that the GoK needs to coordinate 
the release of the joint statement with the Public Affairs and ECON 
sections of the Embassy, adding that the Embassy in turn would be 
coordinating with Washington. 
 
---------------------- 
Full Three-Day Program 
---------------------- 
 
¶7.  The following agenda is Kenya's proposed full three-day draft 
program for the AGOA Forum.  We expect further revisions of the 
program and will report these changes as available. 
 
Theme: "Realizing the Full Potential of AGOA: Bridging the Gap" 
 
Day 0 (Monday August 3, 2009)-Experts' Meeting/Registration 
 
09:00 - 13:00 AGOA Experts' Meeting (Program to follow) 
13:00 - 14:00 Lunch 
14:00 - 17:00 AGOA Experts' Meeting (Program to follow) 
14:00 - 18:00 Registration of Forum Participants 
 
Day 1 (Tuesday, August 4, 2009)-Private Sector & Civil Society 
Sessions 
 
---------------------- 
Private Sector Session 
---------------------- 
 
Program: 
 
7:30 - 9:00 Registration of participants 
 
9:00 - 9:30 Opening plenary - KICC Tsavo Ballroom 
 
-- AU/COMESA/EAC 
 
-- Private Sector Groups: ACTIF, CCA, Africa Business RT 
 
9:30 - 11:00 Plenary sessions - KICC Tsavo Ballroom 
 
-- Sustainability of AGOA - What next beyond 2015? 
 
-- Competitiveness of African Suppliers: Infrastructure concerns 
(road, railway, airport, port, energy) 
 
11:00 - 11:30 Break - KICC tea points outside breakout rooms 
 
11:30 - 13:30 Breakout sessions - Areas for discussion will be: 
 
-- Breakout Session 1 - Agribusiness (specialty foods, fresh 
produce, Shea butter, coffee, and tea) - KICC Impala/L. Turkana 
Hall 
 
-- Breakout Session 2 - Tourism - KICC Lenana Hall 
 
-- Breakout Session 3 - Textile and apparel - KICC Aberdares Hall 
 
-- Breakout Session 4 - Finance and insurance - realizing the 
promise of existing financial instruments (EXIM, OPIC-Entrepreneurs 
Development Network, USTDA); the challenge of tied assistance; 
insurance instruments - KICC Shimba Hills 
 
-- Breakout Session 5 - Market access and market development 
(Quality standards; intellectual property rights; branding and 
promotion) - KICC Delegates Lounge 
 
-- Breakout Session 6 - Fisheries - KICC Taifa Hall 
 
(Each sector will address what the private sector wants to achieve 
under AGOA, successes and challenges so far as well as specific 
recommendations to bring to attention of African Ministers and the 
US Government) 
 
13:30 - 15:00 Lunch - KICC Tsavo Ballroom (Hosted by Private 
Sector) 
 
15:00 - 17:00 Buyer-Seller Meetings - KICC Lenana Hall 
 
15:00 - 17:00 AGOA Experts' Meeting (Program to follow)- KICC 
Aberdares Hall 
 
--------------------- 
Civil Society Session 
--------------------- 
 
Venue: KICC Amphitheatre 
 
Program: 
 
8:00 - 9:00 Registration of Participants 
 
9:00 - 10:30 Opening session 
 
10:30 - 11:00 Break 
 
11:00 - 12:45 Discussions 
 
12:45 - 14:00 Lunch 
 
Day 2 (Wednesday, August 5, 2009) - African Ministerial 
 
Program: 
 
8:00 - 9:00 Registration of participants 
 
9:00 - 9:45 Opening session - KICC Amphitheatre 
 
9:45 - 10:30 Presentations from Private Sector/Civil Society 
Sessions 
 
10:30 - 11:00 Break 
 
11:00 - 12:45 Discussions 
 
12:45 - 14:00 Lunch - KICC Tsavo Ballroom (Hosted by Private 
Sector) 
 
14:00 - 15:00 Discussions 
 
15:00 - 15:30 Break 
 
15:30 - 17:00 Discussions 
 
17:00 - 17:30 Conclusion and adoption of report 
 
19:00 - 21:00 Gala Dinner - KICC Tsavo Ballroom (Sponsored by GoK?) 
 
Day 3 (Thursday, August 6, 2009) - Ministeria Forum 
 
Program: 
 
8:00 - 9:00 Registration 
 
9:00 - 9:45 Opening plenary - KICC Tsavo Ballroom 
 
-- Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Trade, Prime Minister, 
President of Kenya, USTR, US Secretary of State? 
 
9:45 - 10:30 Plenary 1 - AGOA eight years on: Re-examining the 
objectives and developing benchmarks for realization of meaningful 
economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa - KICC Tsavo Ballroom 
 
10:30 - 11:00 Break - KICC tea points outside breakout rooms 
 
11:00 - 12:45 
 
-- Breakout session 1 - Trade & Investment in Agriculture - KICC 
Amphitheatre 
 
-- Breakout session 2 - Trade & Investment in Textile & Apparel - 
KICC Aberdares Hall 
 
-- Breakout session 3 - Trade & Investment in Energy sector - KICC 
Lenana Hall 
 
-- Breakout session 4 - Enhancing SME Programs and Access to Finance 
- KICC Taifa Hall 
 
12:45 - 14:00 Lunch - KICC Tsavo Ballroom 
 
14:00 - 15:00 plenary sessions - KICC Amphitheatre 
 
-- Plenary 2 - Harnessing the objectives of AGOA in order to realize 
it full potential 
 
-- Plenary 3 - US Policy and Regulatory Regimes 
 
-- Plenary 4 - Enhancing Competitiveness in Productive Capacity 
 
15:00 - 15:30 Break - KICC tea points outside breakout rooms 
 
15:30 - 16:45 
 
-- Breakout session 1 - enabling Private Investment - KICC Lenana 
Hall 
 
-- Breakout session 2 - Market development - KICC Aberdares Hall 
 
-- Breakout session 3 - Investment in Infrastructure - KICC Shimba 
Hills Hall 
 
-- Breakout session 4 - Contemporary Global Challenges - KICC Taifa 
Hall 
 
16:45 - 17:30 Plenary 5 - Technical Assistance and the Role of Aid 
for Trade in Enhancing Trade and Investment - KICC Tsavo Ballroom 
 
17:30 - 18:00 Summary of Conclusions and adoption of Report - KICC 
Tsavo Ballroom 
 
18:00 - 21:00 Bush Dinner - Nairobi National Park 
 
Day 4 (Friday, August 7, 2009) - Optional Tours 
 
Program: 
 
8:30 - 1:00 
 
-- Tour 1 - Export Processing Zones (EPZ) - Athi River 
 
-- Tour 2 - Nairobi National Park 
 
¶8.  Action request:  Post welcomes USG interagency team reaction to 
the proposed three-day agenda.  Feedback from interagency team would 
allow us to discuss the program at the March 12 meeting of the GOK's 
AGOA Forum preparatory committee meeting.  Post would also 
appreciate any additional feedback regarding the order of the 
program and the GoK's position that the private sector/civil society 
day be held on the first day of the program. 
 
Ranneberger