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By Kevin J. Kelley East African February 17, 2003 Kenya's top lobbyist in Washington is advising the Kibaki government to act quickly in seeking substantial amounts of new assistance from the United States. Paul Reichler, a partner in the law firm representing Kenya's interests in the US, said: "One of the messages we delivered to our clients is that Washington has a short attention span. It will be difficult for Kenya to capitalise on its opportunities in the next couple of months because the US may be heavily engaged in an action that will consume attention and resources." If a war against Iraq does erupt, Mr Reichler added, American officials "will be looking all over the budget to siphon resources into that." It is therefore essential, he said, that the government take advantage now of Washington's eagerness to help Kenya succeed as a democratic model for Africa. "The most important thing is for the government to decide its priorities. Clearly, there is now great receptiveness here in Washington," Mr Reichler said. His firm, Foley Hoag LLP, has been under contract since November as Kenya's lobbying agent in the US. The arrangement made with the Moi government is set to expire at the end of April, but Mr Reichler clearly hopes that his firm's performance will persuade President Mwai Kibaki's team to extend the relationship. "We're delighted to be working with a democratically elected government dedicated to the fight against corruption," Mr Reichler said. " That does make it easier to get doors to open in Washington." The 60-year-old firm is one of several in Washington that specialise in exerting behind-the-scenes influence on behalf of the governments of other countries. The most successful of these lobbying practices retain politically-connected attorneys and former US government officials who have access to high-level policymakers and opinion-shapers in the news media. Foley Hoag is not among the best known of these firms, but some Washington insiders say it is regarded as an effective representative of African interests. Foley Hoag has extensive experience with clients in East Africa in particular. The firm has represented the Ugandan government in legal matters since 1992, and it served as Kampala's lobbying agent in Washington from 1993 until 1998. US aid and private investment in Uganda increased substantially during the years that Foley Hoag lobbied on behalf of Yoweri Museveni's government. The firm also helped arrange the Ugandan president's visits to Washington, and it assisted in Uganda's successful effort to host then-President Bill Clinton during his 1998 visit to Africa. A few of Foley Hoag's 240 attorneys are currently handling Uganda's defence in a 1999 World Court suit brought by the Democratic Republic of Congo, which accuses Uganda of plundering its resources. Former Kampala Mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala was represented by an attorney then associated with Foley Hoag during a 1999 trial in Boston that resulted in Mr Sebaggala's conviction on US fraud and perjury charges. Foley Hoag also does legal work for the government of Tanzania, Mr Reichler said. He suggested that his firm's track record in representing East African clients helped persuade Kenya to choose Foley Hoag as its US lobbyist. Mr Reichler says that his team worked closely with the Kenyan embassy in Washington to arrange meetings and prepare briefing papers for Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka during his recent visit to the US. Foley Hoag also helped Kenya make its case with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as well as with the US State Department, key members of Congress and influential think tanks. As a follow-up to the "fantastic impression" Mr Musyoka made in Washington, Mr Reichler said he hoped the White House would soon invite President Kibaki to meet with President Bush. Foley Hoag also prepared briefing papers relating to former president Moi's farewell trip to Washington in early December. Mr Reichler emphasised, however, that his firm advised Kenyan officials at that time to focus their discussions in Washington on preparations for a peaceful transfer of power to the winner of the December 29 elections. |
