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1. 

   alangreen
   December 13th, 2010 - 07:50

   Location: Embassy Nairobi Kenya
   # Ref. ID 10NAIROBI181
   Title Chinese Engagement in Kenya
   Date originated 2010-02-17 07:07
   Date disclosed 2010-12-08 21:09
   Original classification level; SECRET//NOFORN

   Document link; http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2010/02/10NAIROBI181.html

   This cable, signed by Ambassador RANNEBERGER, Embassy Nairobi Kenya, Feb. 2010, discusses Chinese business and economic aid activities in Kenya. They are large and rapidly growing – - about 25 percent per year over the period 2004 – 2008.

   The Chinese nation is very strongly involved in efforts to explore for, and develop if found, oil and / or natural gas reserves in Kenya. Aid from China, earmarked for development projects which includes sea ports, railways, roadways, coal-fired electricity generation plants & power transmission lines is substantial.

   The cable suggests that the Chinese government recognizes that potential petroleum reserves development, together with a new deep water sea port for its export from Kenya, might lead to a synergistic gain for the Chinese economy

   What I would call the “WalMart Effect” can be seen to be at work, in regards to goods and services applicable to economic development projects in Kenya. Providers based in the USA are unable to compete with the Chinese counterparts. The latter offer lower prices ‘and in Kenya, that is especially importan’.

   A few things on the down side, from national perspectives of Kenya and USA, are reported in the cable.
   – The Chinese place low priority on maintaining environmental quality standards.
   – In Kenya – China economic development projects the amount of employment of local Kenyan workforce is lowered by the Chinese firm’s labor force importation. The result is both less benefits to locals in terms of wages / salaries, and also lower transfer of Know-how to Kenyans.

   The cable speaks to the notion of linkages between economic aid and political influence goals. The official position of the USA is to apply such leverage as a means to encourage an agenda of reform, improvement in quality of governance, in Kenya. By contrast, the Chinese approach is to not place importance of those kinds of issues in connection with their Kenyan projects.

   - alangreen -
2. 

   ronald ogolla
   February 23rd, 2011 - 12:50

   this is a very good step taken by the chinese government they should continue in the same spirit,
3. 

   Gordon Teti
   March 1st, 2011 - 04:09

   Sent by: Gordon Teti

   sbj; Kenya & USA: Diplomatic cable reveals fears of a Raila presidency

   By PATRICK MAYOYO pmayoyo@ke.nationmedia.com February 28 2011

   In Summary

   Whistle-blowing website says close confidantes of Kibaki were concerned PM would be a dictator
   Fears of Prime Minister Raila Odinga ascending to the presidency after the 2007 General Election by close confidantes of President Kibaki have been revealed in a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks.

   – - -
   A diplomatic cable dated October 9, 2007, says during a meeting with Mr Larry Andre, a political counsel at the US embassy in Nairobi, the minister expressed reservations about an Odinga presidency, saying he was likely to build a Moi-style personality cult.

   The minister even hinted at the possibility of an assassination, saying he did not think Mr Odinga would last more than a few months in office given Kenya’s history of high-profile political assassinations.

   “The minister reminded political counsel (PolCouns) of Mr Odinga’s studies in East Germany, alleging that his undergraduate thesis had been on building nail bombs,” the cable from the whistle-blowing website adds.

   The minister claimed that the Odinga family had long harboured a scheme to create a “Greater Luoland” in western Kenya, uniting the Luo-speaking people of Kenya, Uganda and Southern Sudan.

   Prime Minister Odinga’s father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, was a leading figure in the struggle for Kenyan independence, the country’s first vice- president, and later an opposition leader.

   The cable continues: “The minister noted the close ties between former Ugandan president Milton Obote and the Odinga clan, adding that Mr Odinga would create an oppressive Obote-style regime.”

   The US embassy official said the minister claimed Mr Odinga would say whatever he thinks would make him popular without thinking about the consequences.

   He gave the example of Mr Odinga telling Luos in Nairobi’s Kibera slum not to pay rent to their Muslim landlords.

   Avenge the murders

   “The minister claimed Mr Odinga would feel compelled to avenge the murders of slain Luos Tom Mboya, an independence-era leader believed to have been killed by a Kikuyu, and Robert Ouko, a Moi-era foreign minister believed to have been murdered by a Kalenjin,” it adds.

   However, the US official noted that since the Kalenjin community had a traditionally antagonistic relationship with the Kikuyu and was then largely backing Mr Odinga, it was not entirely logical to suppose that Mr Odinga would seek revenge against them.

   “Mr Odinga would be pressured to avenge these deaths not only against the individual perpetrators, but against entire communities, setting off wider ethnic violence and possibly leading to a retaliatory attempt on Mr Odinga’s life,” the minister said.

   The minister added that an Odinga presidency would be ethnically divisive and short-lived.

   The US official said: “Not surprisingly for a Kibaki loyalist, (the minister) trotted out a laundry list of anti-Odinga propaganda.”

   The US said it was aware of Mr Odinga’s past and family ties, but it did not share the minister’s view that he was a dangerous radical who would destabilise the region and undermine Kenya’s economic progress.

   “That said, Luos (Odinga’s ethnic group) have felt excluded from power since independence and might aggressively assert their new-found strength, especially in the first few months of the new administration, possibly provoking considerable social tension rather than creating an environment for inter-ethnic cooperation and reconciliation,” the cable concludes.

   Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Diplomatic+cable+reveals+fears+of+a+Raila+presidency+++/-/1064/1116546/-/skd01vz/-/index.html

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