In the mid 70s Kenya asked the United States to sell it fighter jets on a credit arrangement to enable it counter Idi Amin’s air power.
Washington was, however, hesitant to sell Kenya brand new fighter jets because of the Congressional limit on defense assistance for foreign countries.
Instead, the United States Government arranged with the Shah of Iran to sell Kenya old F-5As of the Imperial Iranian Air Force.
But before the deal could materialise the Shah changed his mind and sold the jets to his friend King Hussein l of Jordan for the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
The issue became part of discussion when a Kenyan delegation led by the then Kenyan Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Washington in 1975, to request for the jet fighters.
The delegation visited the US State Department where they met the American Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Davis and Wendell B. Coote, the Director Office of Inter-African Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State.
Part of their conversation went like this.
The Secretary:
We have had some talks on arms. We are trying to put together a military assistance package for Kenya.
Foreign Minister Waiyaki:
I hope you can move quickly.
The Secretary:
What is holding things up?
Mr. Coote:
We thought we had some F5A aircraft lined up for Kenya.
They would have been available immediately at a low cost. This was the big advantage of that package.
However, it did not work out.
The Secretary:
Why didn’t it work out?
Mr. Coote:
We thought we could get the F5A’s from Iran but unfortunately the Shah had not approved the arrangement, and it fell through.
Assistant Secretary Davis:
The Shah believed he had already committed the aircraft to Jordan, and he didn’t want to go back on this commitment.
The Secretary:
I remember that now. How many F5A’s were involved?
Mr. Coote:
Ten of them
The Secretary:
Can’t we find ten F5A’s?
Mr. Coote:
The Defense Department has informed us that no suitable F5A aircraft are available now but perhaps some may become available in a year or two.
Assistant Secretary Davis:
Unfortunately, this is a very popular aircraft.
The Secretary:
I find it hard to believe that ten F5A’s are not available. I will look into this when I get back. Have you found any helicopters which can be sent quickly to Kenya?
Mr. Coote:
Defense is looking into this. I think there are some helicopters which can be made available right away.
Foreign Minister Waiyaki:
We are also interested in F5E’s. Did Kibaki (Minister of Finance and Economic Development) talk to the State Department when he was in Washington for the IBRD meetings?
Mr. Coote:
No, he did not raise the subject.
However, Ambassador Marshall has discussed the general subject of military assistance with Minister Kibaki in Nairobi.
We are also looking at the F5E-’s here.
The problem is that they are very costly, and the package might be so high as to create difficulties for both Kenya and the United States.
We have a military team which will be visiting Nairobi soon. They will be prepared to discuss F5E’s as well as alternatives with Kenyan officials.
The Secretary:
The F5E’s would cost around USD 60 million. Are we talking about MAP?
Mr. Coote:
The Kenyan package involves a combination of MAP and FMS credits.
Foreign Minister Waiyaki: We hope the US will be as generous as possible. Are F5E’s or F5A’s better for us?
Mr. Coote:
This is a question for the Kenyan Government to decide, whether the high cost of the planes has a higher priority than your other needs.
Foreign Minister Waiyaki:
Are they good aircraft?
Mr. Coote:
They are very modern, multi-purpose and efficient aircraft containing the latest equipment. This is why they are so costly.
Foreign Minister Waiyaki:
President Kenyatta is anxious to know quickly what will happen.
The Secretary:
I will look into it.
We will let you know next week.
I have a theory about getting things done in the government. Every issue can be settled within a four-hour period.
The question is when this four-hour period takes place.
Normally, it is just before a decision has to be made and follows several weeks or months of meaningless changes and compromises in papers prepared by staff personnel.
I also have another theory. This is that the Pentagon always has more weapons than it is willing to admit. We will see whether they have any F5A’s.
Mr. Coote:
Mr. Minister, I wish to assure you in this instance that the Department of Defense is keen to have a military assistance program with the Kenyan Government.
The Secretary (turning to Assistant Secretary Davis):
Make sure I look into this.
Assistant Secretary Davis:
Yes, sir.
The Secretary:
Are you going to vote with us on the Korean resolution?
There are two resolutions.
We would like you to vote for the one which we support and against the one which Algeria supports. Our resolution calls for the abolition of the UN Command but to replace it with an alternative arrangement.