Meeting Senator Barack Obama

The key cities of New York and Washington D.C. in the United States were host to a number of Kenyan delegations on nation building exercises during the month of September. While the President of Kenya led the largest delegation amongst UN member countries to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations and a Special Summit on implementation of Millennium Development Goals, the Hon. Paul Muite led the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on the Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs to Washington D.C, to lobby Senators on crucial pending legislation of national importance.

In Washington D.C, the two Democrat Senators from Illinois, Senator Richard J. Durbin and Senator Barrack Obama invited a group of East African government and civil society leaders to their weekly forum with lobby groups from Illinois. Dubbed the “Illinois Coffee”, it serves as an opportunity for the senators to meet their constituents in a hall at their senate office building to discuss constituency matters and to update them on legislative affairs affecting them. A similar meeting is also held later in the week at the state of Illinois. In this particular meeting, some of the pressure groups present were drawn from HIV/AIDS groups, university students and even an eighteen year old ex-convict inquiring on employment opportunities for those in his predicament. On the other hand, the eighteen Kenyans, Ugandans and Tanzanians were undergoing a six-week training programme on anti-corruption and good governance at the Les Aspin Centre for Government based in Washington D.C. This was one of the positive things I saw in the U.S. political system. If any Kenyan MP met with his ocnstituents to update them on legislation affecting them and to listen to their issues, we would have a different Kenya. Unfortunately, we elect some of the most dumb politicians who do not even know what laws they are discussing in the house. So long as their patron tells them how to vote, they are ocntent with ammassing wealth and women.

Senator Obama and Senator Durbin took time to update their constituents on the progress with key legislations before fielding questions from them. Thereafter they gave the East Africans a chance to speak and ask questions on issues affecting their countries with relation to U.S. foreign policy. Some of the issues addressed included the recent suspension of $201 Million dollars Global Fund to Uganda due to massive corruption and a lapse in leadership. The Senators expressed their concern at the massive corruption in the East African countries which, in due course, impacts negatively on their foreign policy and trade. Senator Obama cited his recent meeting with the Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair where they discussed the latter’s efforts at assisting African countries in poverty alleviation as well as debt cancellation through Britain’s current leadership at the G8. Senator Obama then informed the East Africans that he would be traveling to the region later next year.

Later that evening, the East African delegation held a meeting with Senator Obama’s Chief of Staff where I had the priviledge of presenting a memorandum highlighting key concerns that we have in our respective countries. The memorandum included an imploration for the inclusion of whistleblower protection legislation alongside witness protection which the U.S. is urging Kenya to pass as a measure to curb terrorist activity; concern at the opportunities for graft and civil unrest as the Tanzanians prepare for their elections and the Kenyans for their referendum on the draft constitution. The delegation also requested the Senators to use their influence in ensuring that the Les Aspin Centre programme continues to get federal government support as it had trained leaders in the past who have made an impact in their countries. Some of the past fellows of the programme include Kenyan Cabinet Ministers Hon. Ochillo Ayacko and Hon. Amos Kimunya and the late Hon. Frederick Chesereck as well as a host of current civil society Executive Directors and senior civil servants.

The two Illinois Senators are quite influential in their own right. Senator Durbin is the Assistant Minority Leader, the second highest ranking Democratic Leadership post. He is serving his second six-year term as Senator and sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee as well as the Judiciary and Rules and Administrations Committees. Senator Barrack Obama is a member of the crucial Foreign Relations Committee where he also sits on the sub-committee on African Affairs. According to his website, he sought to serve on this committee because of his interest in the issues such as keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists and his personal background. His father was born in Kenya and he is the only African – American Senator. He also serves on the important Environment and Public Works Committee which oversees legislation and funding for the environment and public works projects throughout the country, including the national transportation bill, and the Veteran’s Affairs Committee.

Everyone (i.e. American) I talked to is in agreement that Senator Barack Obama's star is rising. He is one of the few Senators who are known and highly regarded country-wide (i.e.U.S.). Hillary Clinton is known as she was the wife to the immediate former President and a brilliant attorney. Others stake their claim to fame through scandals or controversies. One thing worth noting is that there is still widespread hesitation when Obama is linked to the Oval office in terms of his future political career. It is easier to think of Hillary in those terms . One of the well connected people to Capitol Hill waxed lyrical on how Obama owes his political career to Senator Durbin, who has mentored him. Granted the mentorship system that seems to be one of the hallmarks of the U.S. legislative history is commendable, but this person totally refused to acknowlegde Senator Obama in his own right.

For the past six years, the Les Aspin Center has sponsored training programs for community leaders from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda,Mali,Nigeria, andTanzania in democracy principles and practice. The training program began in 1996 with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and has been extended since then. The Democracy Training Program involves six weeks of lectures and discussions in a seminar setting. The participants also undertake site visits to experience directly and learn about the functioning of democracy and the public policy process. The presenters and the participants discuss, compare, and critique the American and African political institutions and how these operate to produce and implement effective public policy. The entire seminar experience enables the participants to understand and synthesize key insights that can be integrated into their country experience. This way, they can identify what is relevant for promoting effective democratic participation in their countries.

My next post will expound on my one month Washington D.C. and Milwaukee visit for the training and my experiences there.