▁Emb ass y ▁bomb ing ▁Bush nell ▁remained ▁Deput y ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁until ▁being ▁nominated ▁by ▁President ▁Cl inton ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁Ken ya ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁Upon ▁confirm ation ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate , ▁Bush nell ▁took ▁up ▁residence ▁in ▁N airo bi . ▁Bush nell ▁used ▁her ▁office ▁to ▁push ▁Ken yan ▁President ▁Daniel ▁a rap ▁Mo i ▁to ▁inst itute ▁dem ocr atic ▁re forms ▁and ▁to ▁root ▁out ▁cor ruption ▁in ▁his ▁government , ▁a ▁major ▁drag ▁on ▁Ken ya ' s ▁economy . ▁Bush nell ▁was ▁also ▁al ar med ▁at ▁the ▁vulner ability ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁emb ass y ▁comp ound ▁to ▁attack . ▁For ▁over ▁two ▁years , ▁she ▁compla ined ▁about ▁security ▁conditions ▁to ▁her ▁super iors ▁in ▁Washington . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁Bush nell ' s ▁request ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁building , ▁a ▁State ▁Department ▁evaluation ▁team ▁concluded ▁that ▁a ▁renov ation ▁would ▁suff ice . ▁Bush nell ' s ▁fear s ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁well ▁founded ▁when ▁on ▁August ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁a ▁car ▁bomb ▁was ▁det on ated ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁emb ass y ▁by ▁al - Q a eda ▁agents . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁bomb ing , ▁Bush nell ▁was ▁att ending ▁a ▁meeting ▁with ▁the ▁Ken yan ▁Trade ▁Minister , ▁Joseph ▁J . K am oth o ▁in ▁the ▁Cooper ative ▁Bank ▁Building ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁emb ass y .