Bushnell remained Deputy Assistant Secretary until being nominated by President Clinton to serve as Ambassador to Kenya in 1996 . Upon confirmation by the United States Senate , Bushnell took up residence in Nairobi . Bushnell used her office to push Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi to institute democratic reforms and to root out corruption in his government , a major drag on Kenya 's economy . Bushnell was also alarmed at the vulnerability of the U.S. embassy compound to attack . For over two years , she complained about security conditions to her superiors in Washington . In spite of Bushnell 's request for a new building , a State Department evaluation team concluded that a renovation would suffice . Bushnell 's fears proved to be well founded when on August 7 , 1998 a car bomb was detonated next to the embassy by al-Qaeda agents
detonated next to the embassy
1998 United States embassy bombings
Prudence Bushnell