From: wsargeant@IGC.ORG (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Kenya, Baker voices concern over vi'
Date: 7 Apr 92 05:47:58 GMT

/* Written  9:04 pm  Apr  6, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "KENYA: BAKER VOICES CONCERN OVER VI" ---------- */
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: BAKER VOICES CONCERN OVER VIOLENCE TO VICE PRESIDENT


washington, apr 3 (ips) -- u.s. secretary of state james baker has
complained directly to kenyan vice president george saitoti about
his government's failure to ensure basic freedoms and stop the
growing violence in kenya, the state department said friday.

at a meeting here between the two men thursday, baker ''voiced
concern that, after a promising start, multiparty democracy in
kenya is threatened by a growing climate of political intolerance,
including serious violence,'' according to a statement about the
meeting released here friday afternoon.

he also called for the holding of ''free fair elections'' in
kenya which he said would be a ''key step'' towards moving the
country towards democracy.

while here, saitoti also met with world bank vice president for
africa, edward jaycox, who suggested to him that kenya's
international donors are not yet ready to resume new aid
commitments to the country suspended last november, bank sources
told ips.

the meetings, which were arranged at saitoti's request, come at
a key moment in kenya, which last fall began an uncertain
transition towards a multi-party system. the decision by president
daniel arap moi to open the system to political competition was in
part propelled by external western pressure.

the country's western and international donors announced at the
november meeting of kenya's 'consultative group' (cg) that they
would suspend all new commitments of aid and loans to the
governments for at least six months, pending the implementation by
the moi government of major economic and political reforms.

during the meeting, moi ordered the arrest of a couple of
senior officials suspected of corruption and or murdering kenya's
foreign minister. immediately after the meeting, he announced he
would move the country to a multi-party system.

since early this year, however, violence against the opposition
and demonstrators has increased, and there is widespread concern
that the government may be behind recent ethnic conflict in
various parts of the country.

recently, the catholic bishops in the countries charged that
the ethnic violence was ''all part of a wider political strategy''
involving ''well-trained arsonists and bandits'' in the face of
which the security forces have been largely passive.

ten days ago, moi banned all political meetings, and attacks on
opposition political figures have reportedly increased. (more/ips)

kenya: baker (2)

friday, for example, the new york-based lawyers committee on
human rights (lchr) reported that human rights lawyer martha njoka
was assaulted thursday by police when she tried to see a group of
women who are currently on a hunger strike calling for the release
of their sons from prison.

it was in this context that saitoti reportedly sought meetings
this week with baker, jaycox at the world bank, and the director
of the international monetary fund, michel camdessus.

camdessus reportedly was unable to see the vice president as a
result of last-minute scheduling conflict.

at the world bank, saitoti argued that substantial economic and
political reforms have taken place that could justify the end of
the cg's freeze on new loans, according to bank sources who asked
not to be identified.

but he was told that the bank, while recognising that some
reforms have been implemented, does not consider them significant
enough to impress the bilateral donors on the cg, an official
said.

''we do not see a lot of progress on the economic front,'' one
source told ips.

state department officials passed along the same analysis,
according to sources there. ''we feel that there has been limited
economic progress and limited political progress,'' said one.
''but there's also a clear need for more reform.''
(end/ips/jl/lp/92)