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PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #2287/01 3070806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030806Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1455
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 6678
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3342
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 3178
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002287 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E DRIANO 
 
E.O.12958: N /A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KE
 
SUBJECT: REFORM CAUCUS LAUNCHED IN PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: N/A 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following a luncheon with Assistant Secretary 
(A/S) Johnnie Carson and an American Chamber of Commerce-hosted 
breakfast attended by Ambassador Ranneberger, an initial 17 Members 
of Parliament have launched a "Reform Caucus."  The Reform Caucus, 
which may be recognized as an official entity within Parliament 
under the new Standing Orders, will focus on fast-tracking the 
constitutional review process and pro-reform legislation within 
Parliament. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) During Secretary Clinton's visit to Nairobi in August, 
several reform MPs requested U.S. support for the formation of an 
"opposition" within Parliament. (Note: Since virtually all political 
parties are currently members of the coalition government, the 
traditional role of the opposition in Parliament has been largely 
abandoned. End note.) In response, A/S Carson pointed out that an 
opposition would slow down Parliament's glacial legislative process 
even further, and suggested that the MPs focus on the formation of a 
"reform caucus" instead. 
 
¶3. (SBU) For the past three months, the Embassy has worked with a 
number of reform-minded MPs to continue the discussion on the 
formation of a reform caucus. We have worked with MPs to ensure that 
the caucus (1) bridges party and ethnic lines, (2) welcomes all MPs 
wishing to support the reform agenda, (3) does not advance any 
individual partisan interests, and (4) is focused on fast-tracking 
the constitutional review process and legislation which advances 
political and economic reforms (such as the Anti-Money Laundering 
bill). 
 
¶4. (SBU) On October 26, A/S Carson and Ambassador Ranneberger hosted 
a lunch with five MPs (Boni Khalwale, New FORD-K, Western Province; 
Margaret Kamar, ODM, Rift Valley Province; Danson Mungatana, NARC-K, 
Coast Province; Olagu Aluoch, ODM, Nyanza Province; and Joyce 
Laboso, ODM, Rift Valley Province) to discuss progress on the reform 
agenda.  Following a wide-ranging debate on the constitution, in 
which it was apparent that the government has not reached a 
consensus position on outstanding contentious issues, Carson urged 
the MPs to focus on building institutional capacity for reform while 
placing a time limit on the constitutional debate. Should the reform 
debate continue too long, Carson noted, the impending election in 
2012 and the politics of presidential succession will make progress 
on constitutional review and the reform agenda nearly impossible. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The morning of October 27, 17 MPs (including four who had 
joined the A/S Carson luncheon) gathered for a breakfast jointly 
hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce Kenya (ACCK) and the 
Embassy to discuss the importance of political and business reforms 
to ensure Kenya's stability and improve its investment climate. 
The Ambassador opened the breakfast by calling upon MPs to take the 
lead in pushing for reforms both publicly and within government. 
Private sector leaders then acknowledged that companies have been 
overly focused on seeking reforms from the executive branch of 
government, but are now looking to Parliament to spearhead 
legislation such as the Anti-Money Laundering bill. 
 
¶6. (SBU) MP Danson Mungatana responded to the Ambassador and ACCK 
leaders by stating that Parliament should "seek first a new 
Constitution, and all else will be added to us as well," while 
noting the absence of a cross-party advocacy group dedicated to 
advancing reforms. MP Margaret Kamar followed Mungatana's comments 
by suggesting that the time has come to formally organize a reform 
caucus open to all MPs willing to advance the reform agenda.  This 
suggestion was met with strong support by the gathered MPs.  MP Boni 
Khalwale then moved that the MPs agree on a formal leadership 
structure for a "Reform Caucus."  Huddled around a table for nearly 
an hour, the MPs elected a caucus whip (Mungatana), resolved to file 
for recognition from Speaker Kenneth Marende, and planned to meet 
again on November 17.  (Comment: Recognition of the Reform Caucus as 
an official entity within Parliament is possible due to the new 
Parliamentary Standing Orders, developed with U.S. support. End 
Comment.) The MPs then called a press conference and announced the 
formation of the Reform Caucus and its first meeting with the U.S. 
business community, receiving coverage in both national newspapers. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The formation of the Reform Caucus has generated 
significant interest within Parliament; approximately 30 MPs (of 222 
total) have already joined or expressed interest in joining.  The 
Caucus has succeeded in building connections across party and 
regional lines. For example, prior to its formation, Mungatana and 
Kamar were mutually suspicious of each other's reform credentials, 
but are now working together in the leadership of the Reform 
Caucus. 
 
 
NAIROBI 00002287  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT. It remains to be seen whether the Parliamentary 
Reform Caucus will be effective or cohesive, but the founding MPs 
appear to be serious in their desire to establish a robust 
pro-reform bloc within Parliament.  Such a caucus has historical 
precedent; in 1992 and again in 1997 the Inter-Parties Parliamentary 
Group functioned as a caucus in negotiating constitutional reforms 
with the Moi government, including term limits which eventually 
forced Moi to step down in 2002. 
 
¶9. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED. We will be quietly supporting the Reform 
Caucus by providing capacity building and technical assistance, 
appropriately highlighting their work in public fora, and reaching 
out to reformist MPs to encourage them to join the caucus.  We are 
also working to send a delegation of six to eight members of the 
caucus to Washington in mid-December to learn about how caucuses 
function in Congress and to formally recognize the MPs who are 
driving reforms forward in the Kenyan Parliament. END COMMENT. 
 
 
RANNEBERGER