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DE RUEHNR #2522/01 3451010
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R 111010Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0072
INFO RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002522 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR AF/E DRIANO AND AF A/S CARSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KE
SUBJECT: Civil Society Delegation to Washington 
 
¶1.  This is an Action request, see para 4. 
 
 
 
¶2.  We remain actively engaged with civil society, business groups, 
women's associations, religious leaders, and youth as part of our 
continuing efforts to advance the process of reform in Kenya.  On 
November 17 we sponsored a highly successful national youth forum 
that gathered activist youth from all regions of Kenya who are 
eager to push the process of reform.  Out of the national youth 
forum several individuals emerged as leaders capable of helping to 
move the nation forward on the path to reform. 
 
 
 
¶3.  We propose to send in mid-January a nine person delegation of 
key civil society leaders to Washington.  This visit is an 
important element in our strategy to push for implementation of the 
reform agenda.  We strongly feel that sending this delegation with 
appropriate high level attention will help galvanize Kenyan 
domestic-driven pressure for reform, which is crucially needed.  We 
have identified funding for such a delegation, and we have devised 
a notional schedule for a Washington program. 
 
 
 
¶4. Post seeks Department concurrence with the proposed delegation 
(para 5) and notional schedule (para 6).  Our proposed delegation 
includes youth leaders, and other civil leaders who are deeply 
engaged in moving Kenya beyond the ethnic-based and corrupt 
practices of the past.  The notional schedule proposed represents 
just that -- Post recommendations that the delegation meet with the 
highest levels of Washington, including with the Secretary and 
possibly even POTUS, in order to underscore the urgency of reform 
in Kenya, highlight the importance we place on governance and 
democracy in Kenya, and to demonstrate our support for those 
advocating for a better future for the people of Kenya. 
 
 
 
¶5. Proposed Delegation: 
 
 
 
Hassan Ole Naado ( M, Youth, Masai, Muslim): Kenya Muslim Youth 
Alliance (KMYA);  Ole Naado is the CEO of KMYA, Chief Editor of the 
New Dawn publication and Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme 
Council of Kenyan Muslims (SUPKEM).  Ole Naado is active in 
promoting inter-faith dialogue and encouraging Muslim participation 
in democratic and nation-building processes, and was a leadership 
force behind the National Youth Forum. 
 
 
 
Caroline Ruto (F, Youth, Kalenjin, Christian): Ruto is a programme 
officer with Citizens Assembly and a young activist who has led 
peace and reconciliation efforts in Rift Valley.  She has been 
instrumental in initiating youth reform assemblies across the 
country to engage with local authorities on conflict resolution and 
civic education.  She was a delegate to the national constitutional 
conference in 2001 and in 2009 she has organized delegations of 
over 2000 youth to present views to the Constitutional Review 
Commission.  She was a key member of the steering committee for the 
November 2009 National Youth Forum. 
 
 
 
Susan Kariuki (F, Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): Youth Agenda; Kariuki 
is the Deputy Executive Director/Program Coordinator of Youth 
Agenda.  Youth Agenda was the technical coordinator of the November 
National Youth Forum.  Kariuki recently pioneered the Kenya 
University Youth Project, which is coordinating university students 
to lead reform in Kenya. 
 
 
 
Joshua Nyamori (M, Youth, Luo, Christian): Nyanza Youth Coalition 
(NYC); Nyamori is the Coordinator of NYC, a network of 169 
organizations led by youth and working on youth issues in Nyanza 
province.  NYC mobilizes youth for participation in the economic, 
social and political development of the province.  NYC was a very 
active member of the steering committee that coordinated the 
November National Youth Forum. 
 
 
 
Wangui Mbatia (F, Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): Kenya Network of 
 
Grassroots Organizations (KENGO); Mbatia is the Executive Director 
of KENGO.  KENGO is a network of grassroots organizations that 
address poor governance, corruption and poverty using a bottom-up 
and rights based approach.  Mbatia is currently coordinating a 
grassroots network of over 2,000 groups representing women, youth, 
and self-help and welfare groups in Kenya. 
 
 
 
Patricia Nyaundi (F, Non-Youth, Kisii, Christian): is an advocate 
of the High Court and the Executive Director of FIDA-K Kenya 
Chapter (FIDA-K); Nyaundi has been instrumental in investigating 
sexual offences committed during the post-election violence, and 
she was a member of the police Task force undertaking the 
investigations.  Currently, she is very active in mobilizing and 
sensitizing women on the draft constitution. 
 
 
 
Ann Njogu (F, Non-Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): Njogu is an advocate 
of the High Court and a founder of the Center for Rights Education 
Awareness.  She is an activist spearheading the fight against 
injustice and she has been at the forefront of campaigns to combat 
corruption, gender equality and constitutional reforms.  She was 
the co-convener of national civil society congress in 2008 that was 
instrumental in averting total political collapse following the 
December 2007 elections.  She is the co-chair of the Multi-sectoral 
Committee and Joint Dialogue Forum on Constitutional Reforms.  Her 
activities have caused her to be battered and harassed by state 
security. 
 
 
 
Harun Ndubi (M, Non-Youth, Kisii, Christian): Haki Focus; Ndubi 
recently founded Haki Focus, an NGO that advocates for human rights 
and good governance.  He is very active lawyer/litigator handling 
cases concerning human rights, governance and constitutional law. 
He is a seasoned democracy and human rights activist and the former 
Executive Director of the Kituo Cha Sheria Center, which provides 
legal aid.  He was a founder of Kenya Peace for Truth and Justice, 
which was instrumental in helping to end the violence in early 
¶2008.  He is very engaged on the issue of the constitution and the 
reform agenda. 
 
 
 
Benson Maisori (M, Youth, Kuria, Christian): Maisori is a youth 
activist currently attached to Kenya National Commission on Human 
Rights engaged in human rights education and capacity building for 
grassroots organizations.  He is a founder of Kuria Youth Forum for 
democracy that engages youth to demand for transparency and 
accountability, and he is a co-founder of Citizens against 
Violence, a former student leader of Kuria University Students 
Association and Kuria Student Volunteers. 
 
 
 
Chris Kinyanjui (M, Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): National Council of 
Churches Kenya (NCCK); Kiyanjui is an Advocate of the High Court 
who has helped draft key legislation for Parliament.  He currently 
serves as Program Officer for Governance and Social Services at the 
National Council of Churches of Kenya.  He has worked with USAID on 
a number of reform efforts, including dissemination of the Waki 
report work and the book "It's Our Turn to Eat." 
 
 
 
¶6. Notional Itinerary: 
 
 
 
Sunday, January 10: 
 
 
 
Late Afternoon     Arrive Dulles 
 
                   Proceed to Hotel 
 
 
 
Monday, January 11: 
 
 
 
0900          AF/E 
 
1000          Call on A/S Carson and AF/FO (including 
representatives from other Bureaus as 
appropriate) 
 
 
 
1100          Meeting with the Secretary 
 
 
 
1200          Wilson Center Roundtable 
 
 
 
1500          NED /NDI/IRI 
 
 
 
Dinner        TBD 
 
 
 
Tuesday, January 12: 
 
 
 
0900          NSC meeting and possible photo opportunity 
with POTUS 
 
 
 
1100          USAID/DCHA 
 
 
 
1230          Lunch with HDAC/Staffers and/or Members 
 
 
 
1400          Call on Payne/Senate SFRC 
 
 
 
1600          Foreign Press Center 
 
 
 
Dinner        TBD 
 
 
 
Wednesday, January 13: 
 
 
 
0830          Breakfast Briefing at USIP 
 
 
 
1100          CSIS Meeting/Roundtable 
 
 
 
1300          Lunch/Outbrief with AF/E 
 
 
 
1430          Depart for Dulles 
 
 
 
RANNEBERGER 
RANNEBERGER