Back in the USA- well not really but kind of

Today we visited the U.S. embassy. The embassy called a town hall meeting for all U.S. citizens living in Kenya to discuss foreign policy, terrorism and security concerns. After the 1998 bombing of the former U.S. embassy in the city centre of Nairobi, the embassy was moved to the outskirts of the city. The embassy sits on a huge compound back far from the road. I’m assuming this is to prevent another roadside bombing because that is how the former bombing occurred. While we have been around a few Americans since being here, it was a special treat to be around so many- even though they were complete strangers. And technically when you’re at the embassy, you’re on U.S. soil. Security is really tight here understandably so we had to wait in several lines to get through security checkpoints.

And even though I was technically on U.S. soil, I couldn't help feel a bit nervous because it was just earlier this year that two women were killed while leaving the embassy. They were the wife and the mother-in-law of one of the staff members. They were driving in an embassy vehicle on the highway back towards Nairobi. Their vehicle was carjacked. When the two women hesitated after being ordered to get out of the car, both were shot dead.

Once inside the embassy grounds, the meeting started. We were first greeted by the U.S. ambassador, Michael Ranneberger, and then later heard from a few security directors. As I’ve mentioned before, Kenya will be having a presidential election in December (actually the election date was just announced today for December 27th). Security concerns arise around election time here because there is almost always political violence. But Ambassador Ranneberger did reassure us that no matter if Kenya's current president, Mwai Kibaki, gets reelected or candidates Raila Odinga or Kalonza Musyoka get elected, American foreign policy towards Kenya should remain the same. And that Kibaki, Odinga, and Musyoka are all friends of the U.S. Some U.S. citizens raised concerns over the continued problem of Kenyan police demanding bribes at routine checkpoints. The ambassador reported that unfortunately there was little the embassy could do about that and it was unlikely it would be eliminated soon.

Here’s a few numbers about funding I learned while at the embassy:
* $500 million will be given to Kenya in 2008 through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) making Kenya the second largest PEPFAR recipient.
* $20 million will be given to Kenya in 2008 through the President’s Malaria Initiative.
* Despite the U.S. travel warning still in place for Kenya, American tourism to Kenya is booming. By the end of 2007, 100,000 American will have visited Kenya. Only the U.K. sends more of its citizens to Kenya than the U.S.
* And $1.5 billion comes from the U.S. (through official government donations, non-profits, private donors, etc.), which accounts for 16% of Kenya’s gross domestic product.

No matter what your political beliefs are- Republican or Democrat- the numbers don’t lie. The U.S. is making a difference in Kenya, particularly PEPFAR. It’s one thing to be in the states and read in a newspaper that PEPFAR is sending $500 million to Kenya to pay for antiretroviral drugs for HIV positive children. And it’s a totally different thing to see with your own two eyes the children that are benefiting from these drugs, that without PEPFAR’s funds wouldn’t be having another Christmas or living into their adolescent years or possibly even having a tomorrow. Seeing the beneficiaries of this money makes me proud to be an American.