Are You Serious? Kenya: Obama Urges Cooperation With ICC Probe

15 December 2010

Nairobi — US President Barack Obama has called on Kenyan to cooperate with the International Criminal Court investigation into the post election violence.
"I urge all of Kenya's leaders, and the people whom they serve, to cooperate fully with the ICC investigation and remain focused on implementation of the reform agenda and the future of your nation," he said in a statement Wednesday.

Kenya: Report Warns of Rising Number of U.S. Citizens Signing Up for Al Qaeda Training

Patrick Mayoyo
12 December 2010

Nairobi — Americans are among thousands of foreign fighters recruited by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror group for terrorism training in the war-torn Somalia, a new diplomatic cable released by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks reveals.

The cable dated August 26, 2009, and dispatched by US ambassador Michael Ranneberger says foreign fighters operating in Somalia include North Americans, Kenyans, Sudanese, Pakistanis, Yemenis and other unidentified nationalities and Arabs.

"Many of the foreign fighters currently operating in Somalia, particularly those who entered to fight the Ethiopians from 2006-2008, are ethnic Somalis, recruited from either neighbouring countries or Diasporas overseas and motivated in the past by a sense of Somali nationalism, jihadist propaganda, and the presence of foreign troops in the country," the cable says.

Kenya: Cable Cites Potential Local Link With U.S. Firm

A black water MD-530F Helicopter on-site of a car bomb explosion

Kevin J Kelley
2 December 2010

New York — The whistle- blowing website wikileaks Tuesday released a US diplomatic document, marked "confidential," that makes specific references to Kenya.

The mentions on Kenya are contained in a February 12, 2009, cable to the State Department from James Swan, the American ambassador to Djibouti, concerning a controversial US security firm's proposed anti-piracy activities in the Horn's waters.

East Africa: What Leaks? Secrecy Still Cloaks Region

5 December 2010

Nairobi — The leak of US diplomatic cables from all over the world has raised fundamental question over freedom of information and the operations of the media vis-à-vis governments.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has among others put the media in the East African region on the spot, for not doing enough to investigate corruption in government, or going along with targeted leaks by government officials with their own agenda. The Wikileaks saga proves that even the US government is scared of the new media and its capacity to track goings on in the corridors of power.

Kenya: Americans Want to Overthrow Government

 
Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
Charles Kerich
1 December 2010

Nairobi — KENYA yesterday implied there was an attempt by the United States to overthrow the government.

In a statement reacting to the imminent release of 1800 diplomatic cables from the US embassy in Nairobi, Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua declared, "The government is aware that a lot of money has been allocated to fund the youth to cause an uprising against our country and lead us into turmoil in an attempt to install a new leadership structure." Mutua released the statement as US Under Secretary of State Maria Otero and ambassador Michael Ranneberger met representatives of the National Youth Forum, which consists of over 60 national youth organisations, at the ambassador's residence in Muthaiga, Nairobi.

"The Kenyan government is concerned with foreign attempts to create despondency against the government and the country in the guise of youth empowerment," Mutua's statement declared.

"The Government is monitoring these events keenly and will not allow outsiders to ruin the peace and stability we are enjoying," he stated.

Kenya: Spokesman Alleges U.S. Plot 'To Topple Coalition'

30 November 2010

Nairobi — Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua on Tuesday fell short of directly accusing the US Government of funding a campaign to cause unrest in the country.
He claimed that the "foreign powers" behind a plot to topple the government had channelled more than $20 million (Sh1.6 billion) to youth groups over the last few months.

"The government is concerned over foreign attempts to create despondency against it in the guise of youth empowerment," he said.

"The government is aware that a lot of money has been allocated to fund the youth to cause an uprising against our country in an attempt to install a new leadership structure," he went on.
He added that the government was monitoring the issue "keenly" and will not allow "outsiders" to ruin peace and stability in the country.