Cablegate: Kenya: January 8 Status Report

O 081407Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4115
INFO CDC ATLANTA GA IMMEDIATE 4219
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000076

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT PASS TO PEACE CORPS HQ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC CASC KE PREF
SUBJECT: KENYA: JANUARY 8 STATUS REPORT

REF: NAIROBI 61 AND 62

1. (U) As of 01/08 1700 hours (Nairobi time):

Security: Nation-wide, calm but tense. No skirmishes
reported. ODM "postponed" planned rally for today and
has indicated it may hold one on Thursday, pending
outcome of international mediation of a political settlement.
Police remain in force in western Kenya, Mombasa and
have cordoned off Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi, but
otherwise no police lock-downs or cordons. International
(Kenyatta in Nairobi and Moi in Mombasa) and most domestic
airports remain open and there are seats available on flights
to Europe.

Embassy personnel: All USG PSC and TDY personnel accounted
for.

Some Kenyan FSNs, however, remain stranded in areas of
western Kenya largely due to lack of transport. A few
have expressed some concerns about fears of being stopped
at illegal, spontaneous roadblocks on feeder roads by gangs
of youth conducting so-called "ethnic screening." We have
advised FSNs to contact their local police and arrange to
be included in police-escorted motor convoys/buses out of
western Kenya.

CDC and MRU staff in Kisumu report they were able to move
around town unhindered and get money, fuel, and food. Major
concern is reliability of food supplies. Fuel available but
prices are 10-20% higher than pre-violence. Post will assess
situation on January 9, with eye to possibility of permitting
those Kisumu-based CDC personnel and families now "TDY" in
Nairobi
because of the violence, to return to Kisumu later this week.

One of the two main schools in Nairobi attended by Embassy
dependents, Rosslyn Academy, has postponed its opening date
from January 7 to January 14, consistent with the postponed
opening date for Kenyan public schools. The other,
International School of Kenya, plans to open on January 10,
but will assess security situation again on January 9. The
Kisumu
International School (KIS) plans to open January 15.

Embassy -- and CDC and MRU offices at the Kenya Medical
Research
Institute in Nairobi and in Kisumu -- were open for business
today.

Humanitarian Assistance: Ambassador and A/S Frazer traveled
via
US military C-12 plane to Eldoret and Kisumu today to meet
with
victims of the violence. They also announced USG contribution
of
$5 million for humanitarian needs.
RANNEBERGER

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