Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08NAIROBI312, KENYA: A/S FRAZER,S MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT KIBAKI

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08NAIROBI312.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08NAIROBI312 2008-01-29 14:47 2011-04-06 00:00 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Nairobi
VZCZCXRO4019
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHNR #0312/01 0291447
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 291447Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4470
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 9855
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 5751
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 5074
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2589
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1858
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2619
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2553
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000312 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KE
SUBJECT: KENYA: A/S FRAZER,S MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT KIBAKI 
JANUARY 5 AND 7 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ranneberger, reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Assistant Secretary Frazer, joined by 
Ambassador Ranneberger, met with President Mwai Kibaki on 
January 5 and January 7 to seek a path towards ending the 
political crisis stemming from the disputed December 27 
presidential election results.  She carried with her 
Secretary Rice's message of an end to the violence and an 
 
SIPDIS 
agreement to dialogue among the principals in the electoral 
dispute for a political resolution.  In both meetings, Kibaki 
was fully engaged and in control of his meeting, though 
members of his team comfortably voiced divergent viewpoints. 
In the January 5 meeting, Kibaki and his team focused on the 
need to end the post-election violence and their fear that 
Kikuyus were specifically being targeted.  In the January 7 
meeting, Kibaki was put on the defensive by A/S Frazer who 
sought an explanation and remedy for his naming of a partial 
cabinet on the eve of the African Union Chairman and Ghanaian 
President John Kufuor's arrival to facilitate talks between 
he and Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Party (ODM). 
 
2. (C) During both meetings, Kibaki said the right things in 
condemning violence and being open to dialogue to end the 
political crisis.  Furthermore, Kibaki agreed in principle to 
forming a government of national unity and reconstituting his 
cabinet following talks with Odinga.  However, his subsequent 
actions clearly suggested that he and his team were also 
moving towards consolidating power and that dialogue with 
Odinga was perhaps a fallback plan in whatever political 
strategy they had to end the political crisis.  End Summary. 
 
3. (C) During A/S Frazer,s mission to Kenya from January 
4-11, she met with President Kibaki twice, on January 5 and 
7, to reinforce the message from Washington:  entering into 
dialogue with Odinga to find a political resolution to the 
current crisis is the way forward and an end to all violence 
on all sides is paramount.  A/S Frazer pointed out that 
Kenyans had come out en masse to vote and largely did so 
peacefully in a process that appeared to be clean, up to the 
point of vote tallying.  She emphasized that there were 
clearly problems with the vote count and this should be 
acknowledged and addressed by Kibaki in the interest of 
helping to heal divisions in the country.  She reminded 
Kibaki of the more conciliatory tone he struck during his 
first address to the nation, which acknowledged that Kenyans 
had voted across the spectrum and which was a basis from 
which reconciliation could be built upon.  A/S Frazer argued 
that political dialogue is the most viable way out of the 
current crisis as Kenyan courts are not considered impartial 
by ODM. 
 
4. (C) While Kibaki repeatedly said in both meetings he was 
open to political dialogue, his position was quite clear:  he 
won the election fairly; if ODM has concerns about the 
outcome they should take their complaints to court because 
once the Electoral Commission of Kenya makes a call on 
elections the courts are the sole constitutional remedy (and 
his government would obey their ruling, Kibaki said); and ODM 
is to blame for post-election fighting and it is 
orchestrating an organized campaign of violence. 
 
5. (C) Kibaki emphasized that the real problem at hand from 
his government's perspective is not the controversial 
presidential election result but the violence that has 
ensued, and he said ending it was their primary focus. 
Kibaki pushed the point that Odinga and other ODM leaders 
need to come out and call for an end to the violence. 
 
6. (C) Martha Karua, the Minister of Justice and 
Constitutional Affairs and clearly one of the hardliners in 
Kibaki's inner circle, attended the January 5 meeting (joined 
by then Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju, Foreign Ministry 
Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi, and Advisor Stanley 
Murage) during which she conceded that while some of the 
post-election violence may have been spontaneous, for the 
most part it has been pre-planned, she said. Kibaki echoed 
this point arguing that the youth are being paid to commit 
such acts.  Tuju, a Luo, contended that ODM supporters were 
specifically targeting the Kikuyu, whom he said have 
exercised a lot of restraint up to now, suggesting that they 
could retaliate especially in areas like Nairobi where they 
 
NAIROBI 00000312  002 OF 003 
 
 
are a majority, as Karua pointed out.  Kibaki and his team 
emphasized they would not kowtow to the violence, which they 
consider ODM is using as "blackmail." Mwangi recounted how he 
had to send a vehicle to Eldoret to rescue members of his 
family from the violence in that area.  He claimed the 
post-electoral violence had been instigated by ODM and that 
it would have "unleashed" such violence even if it had won 
the election because of its desire for "majimbo" -- the idea 
of decentralized governance with the connotation that major 
ethnic groups will govern autonomously over their own 
regions. 
 
7. (C) A/S Frazer stressed that the USG condemned all 
violence and promised to continue to push the issue with ODM 
to call an end to it.  She, however, asked Kibaki to 
demonstrate leadership by engaging with Raila in dialogue 
even in these difficult times; if former Presidents Nelson 
Mandela and F.W. de Klerk of South Africa could do it after 
years of violence, distrust, and political struggle in South 
Africa, surely he and Raila could do the same to move Kenya 
forward.  After all, they have worked together in the past 
and they do know each other, perhaps too well, she added. 
A/S Frazer noted there were failures in leadership on both 
sides -- that Raila should reign in those committing violence 
and that Kibaki should come out with a statement 
acknowledging electoral problems. 
 
8. (C) A/S Frazer asked that Kibaki and Raila issue separate 
statements condemning violence, acknowledging there were real 
problems with the elections, and agreeing to dialogue 
(initially a joint statement was proposed and Kibaki was 
unopposed to it, but Karua and Tuju nixed the idea arguing 
that it would give the appearance of a "co-presidency."); the 
statements would help heal and normalize the country*the 
most immediate need*and are exclusive of the issue of how 
the parties will actually come to a political arrangement on 
governance, A/S Frazer explained.  While Kibaki expressed 
doubt that Raila truly wanted peace and said he was a man who 
spoke in "two languages" -- something he saw as a significant 
obstacle to dialogue -- he agreed to issue a statement, but 
never did.  However, almost immediately after the January 5 
meeting, the Presidential Press Service issued a statement 
that said the government was open to dialogue and forming a 
government of national unity. 
 
9. (C) On the eve of President Kufuor's arrival in Kenya to 
help facilitate talks between Kibaki and Odinga, Kibaki 
announced on January 7 the appointment of eight key cabinet 
members.  A/S Frazer met with him that evening to express 
great disappointment and surprise at such action, 
particularly on the day before expected talks between ODM and 
PNU.  She said the cabinet appointments were preemptive, that 
it seemed like Kibaki was taking the issue of cabinet 
positions off the negotiating table and was prepared to 
exclude ODM from any kind of coalition government, and that 
the USG was seriously considering denouncing the government 
should Kibaki not take remedial action.  A/S Frazer also took 
Kibaki to task for not issuing the statement on vote tallying 
irregularities while noting that Odinga had honored his 
commitment to condemn violence and call off rallies given 
current political tensions. 
 
10. (C) Kibaki argued that he was not preempting talks and 
that he only announced the partial cabinet to keep the 
government running -- that it was only "logical" to do so, he 
said. Logical as it may be, the timing in naming a cabinet 
was bad faith, A/S Frazer told Kibaki.  In the end, Kibaki 
said that he was open to changing cabinet positions if this 
was decided during talks with ODM, along with having the 
talks deal with a broader range of issues such as electoral 
and institutional reform.  After intense negotiations with 
Kibaki and his team, it was agreed that Kibaki would issue a 
statement explaining why he appointed a cabinet when he did, 
clarifying that the cabinet was subject to change pending 
outcome of talks with ODM, and noting that nothing would be 
ruled out in these discussions.  Francis Muthaura, Secretary 
to the Cabinet, and the newly appointed Foreign Minister 
Wetengula fought the idea of issuing a public statement 
clarifying the cabinet position appointment, but Kibaki was 
decisive in wanting it done; the statement was issued the 
following day. 
 
NAIROBI 00000312  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
11. (C) Comment:  Kibaki and his team are fixated on the 
post-election violence and fail to truly own up to the fact 
that the flawed election results were the impetus to the 
crisis.  They seem almost oblivious to the vote tallying 
problems, treating it as a minor detail that can be brushed 
aside and dealt with through legal means.  Kibaki seemed 
reasonable and could be influenced with a well-argued point; 
members of his team, like Martha Karua, were clearly more 
hardline in their positions and do not seem truly interested 
in dialogue with ODM.  Distrust of ODM was very evident in 
statements by both Kibaki and members of his team during 
these conversations. While Kibaki and his team are quite 
dismissive of ODM protests about the problems with the 
elections, the fact that Kibaki is open to dialogue with 
Raila suggests he has not completely bought into PNU's 
narrative that they won the presidential elections fair and 
square; there may be hope yet that Kibaki will assert 
leadership to pursue a political solution with ODM.  End 
Comment. 
 
12. (U) This cable has been cleared by Assistant Secretary 
Frazer. 
RANNEBERGER