News
Kenya acts to spruce up international image
A report on what US opinion leaders think about Kenya was presented to President Kibaki in Nairobi on Friday. The report lists a host of issues the State has bungled or neglected to undertake. Photo/CHRIS OJOW
Posted Friday, December 4 2009 at 22:00
In Summary
- 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.
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Submitted by peter mugambiPosted December 06, 2009 06:50 AM
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Submitted by InSidious
It's ironical you know that Chlopak Leonard Schechter and Associates does not list Kenya as one of it's clients. Now from a PR standpoint, that is clearly a move to disassociate. PR will not resolve our quagmire, prudent, astute and forward thinking leadership will and it's certainly not the current crop; with an exception or two.
Posted December 05, 2009 10:28 PM -
Submitted by tusker78
they shall reap what they have sown...which is nothing!!! Kenya government burying its head in the sand.
Posted December 05, 2009 07:06 PM -
Submitted by brawdy
Gentlement, it is not about image. 'son of man prophesy againist the shepherds of kenya, prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord GOD, woe be to the shepherds of kenya that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flock? ye eat the fat and ye cloth you with wool, ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the flock. the diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them'. (Ezekiel 34:2-4).
Posted December 05, 2009 04:27 PM -
Submitted by mwananchi1963
Maybe that's what we need to do as Kenyans: I propose a harambee to raise funds so that we can lobby our own government. That way, maybe our placeholders masquerading as leaders will finally take us seriously, and pay attention to what the Kenya we want really looks like. I have the first dollar of the $1.7 million needed.....
Posted December 05, 2009 08:19 AM
RSS
This is just a waste of money from a country whose GDP is only 30billion dollars.Compare this to the US's 14.5 trillion and you can wonder what is really wrong with our leaders. You can see in this picture the president has this ADC guy behind him while the US presidents despite their nation's wealth cannot afford one. This is absolutely ridiculous.