From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: HEAT STILL ON MOI DESPITE HELP IN U.S. SOMALIA OPERATION
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 02:56:31 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: North America
Title: KENYA: HEAT STILL ON MOI DESPITE HELP IN U.S. SOMALIA OPERATION


an inter press service feature

by james m. dorsey

nairobi, dec 7 (ips) -- the u.s. has warned kenya that it does not
need its support for its military intervention in neighbouring
somalia, and will not drop its demand that kenya must hold free
and fair elections on dec. 29 before western aid is resumed.

u.s. ambassador to kenya smith hempstone made the assertion in a
closed door briefing to a delegation from the washington based
international republican institute, in kenya to observe the
electoral process.

but it drew an immediate and angry kenyan response. a senior
kenyan official accused smith hempstone of lying, and indicated
that kenya would be happy to see him leave.

a u.s.-kenyan row comes as the u.s. uses kenya as one of its
staging posts for ongoing operations in somalia in support of
food aid distribution.

smith hempstone charged that there were ''some signs'' that this
country's first multi-party elections since it became
independent 29 years ago would be ''blatantly rigged''.

the ambassador, who has been highly controversial because of his
repeated public criticism of the government of daniel arap moi,
said the u.s. warning had been made both publicly and privately,

the united states and other western donors, including
germany, canada and the european community (ec), froze aid to
kenya a year ago, demanding that kenya first hold multi-party
elections before economic support would be again forthcoming.

as a result, moi has this year allowed the formation of
political parties and scheduled this month's election.

''this is most crucial election in kenya's history, i
devoutly hope they will be free and fair, if the are not free
and fair, i'm not going to buy it'', hepstone said.

''there will be no raise in aid if these are blatantly rigged
election and there are some signs of that''.

speaking privately the ambassador acknowledged that kenya was
playing a key role in support of u.s. operations in somalia by
putting three of its airports as well as the port of mombasa at
the disposal of u.s. forces.

nevertheless smith hempstone, a political appointee who was
in the mid-1980s editor of the washington times newspaper, said
that the imminent u.s. operation could operate outside kenya,
though it would be ''inconvenient''. (more/ips)


kenya: heat (2)

if kenya acted on its threat to withdraw facilities
because of the u.s.'s refusal to drop the linkage between aid
and the election, u.s. forces would be able to operate from
djbouti, ethiopia, egypt or oman.

smith hempstone said the u.s. paid kenya 250,000 dollars a
year for use of its airfield and the mombasa port. at stake is
at least half of the 350 million dollars kenya receives annually
in western aid, smith hempstone said.

''kenya is trying to get me to take the heat off. they have
suggested that they may not be forthcoming with facilities.
we've told they would get an awful international press if they
did so. we are also sending food to north east kenya, i told the
kenyans: 'i can't believe you would deprive your own people'''
the ambassador said.

responding to hempstone's remarks, kenyan foreign ministry
permanent secretary sally kosgei, the ministry's top civil
servant, denied that kenya had called for dropping of the link
between aid and the elections.

''that's a lie,'' said kogei. ''i'm the only person handling
this. what he is saying is not true. maybe things would be
easier if we had a career diplomat here. president (george) bush
phoned moi to cordinate on somalia.''

smith hempstone's remarks came amid charges by both the
national election monitoring unit (nemu), a volunteer group
established by various kenyan non governmental organisations and
u.s. government experts that the moi government was preventing
the opposition from campaigning freely in the run up to the
elections.

university of california kenya expert judith geist, in kenya
on a project funded jointly by the u.s. agency for international
development (aid) and the swedish international development
agency (sida) charges that up to one million mostly 18 year old
kenyans have been prevented by the government from registering
as voters.

opposition parties were also being stopped from holding rallies
in key areas of the country and both the government and the
opposition were engaging in vote buying geist said. ''moi has
been kicking and screaming every inch of the way in this
agreement on multi-party elections,'' she said.

namu coordinator grace githu said: ''things have not
improved at at all. (the ruling) kenya african national union
(kanu) is very busy campaigning and has so much in its favour''.
(end/ips/jd/oa/92)