Kenya acts to spruce up international image

• Kibaki receives report outlining US opinion leaders’ views on country

The government on Friday took the first step towards repairing its battered image in the US.

President Kibaki led senior government officials in formally receiving a report outlining what opinion leaders in the US felt about Kenya.

The survey was conducted by Chlopak Leonard Schechter and Associates, a Washington-based lobbying and public relations firm hired to spruce up Kenya’s image in the US at a reported cost of Sh129 million ($1.7 million) over the next two years.

Lopsided policies

Top officials who included Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka were, for more than two hours taken through the detailed survey by representatives from the PR firm.

But, as the President received the report, details of the US attack on the coalition leadership over lopsided policies and unfulfilled promises to Kenyans were being leaked to the press.

A brief presented by US ambassador Michael Ranneberger at a Monday meeting with donors, and seen by the Saturday Nation, lists a host of issues the State has bungled or neglected to undertake.

“It is problematic to talk about prospects for development without clear indication that these reform issues will be addressed,” reads the brief in part.

The torrent of “serious concerns” include the recent increase in daily allowances for ministers travelling to Switzerland to $918 (Sh68,850), failure to make public the Cockar report on the secret sale of Grand Regency (now Laico Regency), and an update into the maize scandal.

On Friday, Kenya’s big three leaders did not address journalists, but Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula said the report would in the long run influence relations with Washington.

He said that an inter-ministerial sub-committee will be set up to scrutinise the report. “We shall examine what is do-able and do it ... what we can’t, we won’t do,” he added.

Earlier this week, the PR firm presented to other government officials the findings of the survey conducted among key legislative and executive figures, academics, researchers and corporate executives with interests in the region.

It is understood the leaders were disappointed that Kenya was now a floundering state dragged down by rampant official corruption and a culture of impunity.

The firm has compiled eight fact sheets on Kenya for distribution to the US media, government officials in Washington and American corporate executives.