US President Barack Obama will land in
town in a few months’ time. And alreadly
there is high sentiment, as has always
been the case, owing to his Kenyan roots.
It will be high-profile time for Kenya
around the world and probably the
biggest promotion Kenya could have in
terms of media presence around the
world.
It’s a moment tourism promoters will love
to leverage on and will obviously do long
after Mr Obama has returned home.
And with it, there is much worry about
the logistical nightmare that Nairobi will
be when America’s first black president,
the erstwhile skinny boy with a funny
name who rose to the most powerful
office in the world, lands in Nairobi,
Considered by the Secret Service as the
world’s highest value target for
elimination, security demands around any
US president are mindboggling.
And coming against the backdrop of a
terror attack at the Garissa University
College that killed 147 people, the test of
hosting Obama could not have come at a
worse time.
All eyes
It will be the biggest test in office for
security chiefs. And all eyes will be on
Inspector-General of Police Joseph
Boinnet.
In January, India was forced to deploy an
additional 1,200 troops on certain
stretches along the India-Pakistani border
as a second line of defence in order to
prevent infiltration of terrorists into the
country during Obama’s Republic day
visit.
Obama even broke India’s tradition by
refusing to arrive at the venue together
with India’s Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. Instead, he arrived in the Beast, the
armour plated limousine with bulletproof
windows that insulate him from all sorts
of threats including chemical attacks.
His action was not well received by a
section of the Indian community just like
when Bill Clinton’s security detail in the
year 2000 removed drinking water placed
for him by his Tanzanian hosts on the
dais.
Security analysts have predicted that
similar scenarios will unfold in Kenya in
July.
“In 2013, part of the reason Obama said
he was not visiting Kenya at that time
was insecurity and I don’t think this has
changed; he is only doing so because he is
obligated to because of the roots,” says
James Ndung’u, the project manager of
Safer World – an international non-profit
organisation that works to prevent violent
conflicts.
“The US President has in the past visited
countries considered riskier than Kenya
but what happens in such cases is his
security bubble becomes tighter.
Kenyans should, therefore, be prepared to
witness these as we approach July,” he
says.
According to him, the Garissa University
College attack is unlikely to make the
President cancel his visit as the US is
aware of the security situation in Kenya
and has been constantly working with the
government on logistics.
“Compared to other countries which cede
the protection of their head of state to the
host country whenever they visit, America
exercises complete control,” Ndung’u says.
“It, however, works with the host country
for intelligence and to provide a buffer.
This could mean thousands of police
officers deployed which, for the case of
Kenya, could create a lapse in other areas
because of the expected shortage,” he
says.
No chances
In 2004, three banks were robbed in Iowa
as local police concentrated on
complementing the Secret Service’s role
in protecting President George Bush and
presidential candidate John Kerry who
were both campaigning in the state.
And despite the huge human resource
and financial toll presented to the local
security apparatus because of his visit,
federal agencies charged with keeping
him safe will still not take any chances.
The American government has never
disclosed how many people are involved
in the planning, citing security reasons.
But information collected by the Sunday
Nation indicates that any trip by the US
President requires hundreds of people
and thousands of hours to plan.
The countdown usually starts immediately
the intended visit is mentioned in the
White House. US Secret Service agents are
dispatched to the would-be host country
months prior to the public announcement
to conduct what in security terms is
known as “pre-advance”. It is expected
that Nairobi is already crawling with US
security agents operating under cover and
on the record.
Preparatory trips
The pre-advance involves ironing out
visas, passports, weapons permits, and
hotels screening and booking.
“Working closely with the host country,
the US team surveys the sites on the visit
and then identifies locations of particular
vulnerability. This could mean several
preparatory trips to the country,” says the
BBC.
The routes due to be taken are assessed
countless times. This involves checking
for escape routes, nearest hospitals and
fixed objects along the way – dustbins,
cars, sewers, fire hydrants, lamp posts,
letter boxes and even bikes several times
before the visit and just before the
President arrives.
The Secret Service is specific on the width
of the roads the presidential entourage
can use. They should be wide enough to
enable the two identical 18 ft long Beasts
to perform a J-Turn in case of an
emergency. This is a driving manoeuvre
in which a reversing vehicle is spun 180
degrees and continues, facing forward,
without changing direction of travel.
These specifications will likely reduce the
options on the roads President Obama will
use during his stay as Kenyan roads are
considered to be narrow.
Those who will be expected to interact
with the President are profiled ahead of
time to determine if they will pose
security threats regardless of their status
in the host countries.
“With about 30 days to go, the US starts
background checks on everyone the
President is likely to come into contact
with. They check for any miscreants or
anyone in the intelligence database,
looking for a sleeper or an assassin hiding
in the midst,” says the Washington Post.
Five days before the US President arrives
in Kenya, the Secret Service would have
secured all the sites that he is expected to
visit. The hotels that will accommodate
his entourage, which could run into a
1,000 people, will be thoroughly swept for
bugs (threats).
Control centre
The hotel where he will stay and venues
he will visit will have to cede ownership
to the Secret Service days before his
arrival. A control centre for use by his
security detail will be set up at an
undisclosed room in the hotel. All the
furniture shall be removed and telephones
changed.
There will be no room service during the
President’s entire stay.
Two days before the US President arrives,
two US Airforce C141 cargo planes will
arrive in Nairobi. In their fuselages will
be tonnes of equipment, metal detectors,
sniffer dogs, armoured motorcade, and
two limousines.
Also arriving on the same day are
counter-assault teams, technicians,
support teams and spotters.
Information leaked by the Washington
Post about his 2013 visit to Africa said the
US President travelled with 56 support
vehicles.
“These included 14 limousines and three
trucks loaded with sheets of bulletproof
glass to cover the windows of the hotels
where the First Family will stay. Fighter
jets also flew in shifts, giving a 24-hour
coverage over the President’s airspace, so
they can intervene quickly if an errant
plane gets too close,” said the Washington
Post.
A military ship was also docked at the
Tanzanian coast to provide support. The
ship carries choppers that circle the area
where the US President is at any one time
and is fully equipped with a hospital on
board and other state-of-the-art amenities.
Kenyans will begin to fully appreciate the
burden of having the US President in
their midst within a week to his arrival.
In 2013, several streets in Dar es Salaam
were closed down four days prior to
Obama’s visit.
“Movement for unauthorised persons in
some areas was severely limited.
Wananchi were advised to stay in their
homes during the duration of Obama’s
visit as hawkers were swept off the streets
to give the impression that the streets
were clean,” said Nation Media Group’s
Tanzanian newspaper The Citizen.
Sniper teams
Ninety minutes before Air Force One – his
official jet – touches down, movement
within JKIA will be restricted by his
security detail who will take over.
Counter sniper teams will take positions
and only his jet will be allowed to
approach and passengers intending to
travel will be greatly disadvantaged.
And the nightmare does not end with
security.
Most of the visits by American presidents
to foreign countries are turned into
avenues for the world’s super power to
advance its policies, at times catching the
host governments in awkward situations.
In 2013, while on a visit to Senegal,
Obama sparked outrage throughout the
continent after he urged African leaders
to extend equal rights to gays and
lesbians.
Already the White House has indicated
that the President will address human
rights issues during the visit.
Journalists intending to cover his visit will
also face a lot of pain and embarrassment,
and so will politicians.
In August 2012, a dispatch from State
House was sent to newsrooms about the
impending visit by the US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton and a briefing that
was to follow.
The press waited for hours but when
Clinton emerged, the session turned out
to be a photo session. The same day,
Foreign Affairs minister Sam Ongeri was
forced to wait in his car for hours as Mrs
Clinton met Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
Kenyans will, however, bear all this in
expectation of the goodies Obama will
likely bring. In 2013, Obama pledged $7
billion to help combat frequent power
blackouts in sub-Saharan Africa.

http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/travel/The-joy-and-pain-of-hosting-US-President/-/1950822/2675866/-/ca6d6az/-/index.html

mindblowing. except the Lord keepth.........

All this for obama chai I want to be president of USA oh

Nawaoooo