A blunder by Kenya’s ambassador to the United States has plunged the country into a diplomatic row and provoked a strongly worded response from Illinois Senator, Mr Barack Obama.
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| President Kibaki |
Bizarrely, it was followed by another incident in which US President George W Bush was said to have discussed Kenya with Mr Jakaya Kikwete, the Tanzanian President.On Wednesday, the Government wrote to the US and Tanzanian authorities in Kenya, seeking a clarification over alleged instability concerns raised by Mr Bush and Mr Kikwete.
But it is Ambassador Oginga Ogego’s comments that provoked Obama, a high-flying American politician with Kenyan roots.
The Senator maintained that corruption and tribalism must stop in Kenya for any development to be realised.
“If Kenya is to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and satisfy aspirations of its great people, substantially more progress must be made on the issues of tribalism and corruption,” Obama said in a letter to Mr Ogego dated September 15.
Address at the University of Nairobi
The Senator dismissed issues raised in Ogego’s letter as “ad hominem and groundless” worth of “only a general response”.
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| Illinois Senator, Mr Barack Obama |
He added: “I feel it would be more productive to simply issue a general response. I invite you to follow up with me in person, or via further correspondence, on issues you feel warrant additional attention”. He reminded Ogego that Kenyans stand by him on issues he raised at the University of Nairobi three weeks ago.
“While you seem to believe the Government is doing all it can, a number of Kenyan politicians, members of civil society, the media, and many ordinary Kenyans have told me the exact opposite. Many have welcomed my statement as a much-needed call to action,” the Senator said.
Obama told Ogego that the best judge of his speech was not the Government but the Kenyan people. The Senator’s address at the University of Nairobi had elicited a caustic response from Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua, who just fell short of getting personal.
Kenya seeking a clarification
Mr Ogego, who had just been posted to Washington DC, followed up by castigating Obama before he had even presented his credentials to Bush.
On Wednesday, Obama said: “More over, as a technical matter, it is my understanding that at the time your letter was issued, you had not yet presented your credentials to President Bush, making your protest a breach of protocol”.
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| Foreign Affairs Assistant minister, Mr Moses Wetangula |
In Nairobi, the Foreign Affairs Assistant minister, Mr Moses Wetangula, said Kenya was seeking a clarification over the alleged insecurity concerns discussed by Bush and Kikwete. During a meeting in New York on Monday ahead of the opening of the UN General Assembly, the two leaders are said to have discussed “political instability” in Kenya.
According to information attributed to Dr Cindy Courvillle, the US Government’s director for African affairs, the two presidents “expressed concerns to make sure that democracy is moving forward in Kenya”.
‘Remarks unwarranted and unjustified’
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| Government Spokesman, Dr Alfred Mutua |
It was, however, unclear why Mr Bush resorted to discussing Kenyan issues with Kikwete while Foreign Affairs minister Raphael Tuju is leading a delegation to the UN Assembly. “We have sent official notes to the Tanzania and the US governments to seek clarification on the veracity and accuracy of the reports,” Wetangula said.
Wetangula said he had spoken to the US Ambassador to Kenya, Mr Michael Rannerberger, who said he was unaware of the remarks but promised to take it up.
Wetangula described the remarks as “unwarranted and unjustified” assault on an independent and sovereign state.
“This is more so coming from countries friendly to us and I hope the remarks are not a prelude to some mischief which Kenyans will certainly resist,” he said.
He defended the country, saying despite its problems, it was not unstable and had been a good example in the region.
Wetangula said Kenya would take the necessary steps to protect and guard its stability. He said the remarks did not augur well for the steps already taken towards realising an East Africa Federation but said the East Africa Community went beyond such statements.
first lets get the facts straight concerning this whole issue The letter sent by our ambassador to senetor Obama.
a)The said letter was infact sent before his (amb)credentials were presented and as per diplomatic norms the letter should have waited if the letter was an official protest letter to the government.The letter was an official complaint to sen obama not to the US government .Sen Obama is not the US governmenthe is the jnr sen from illinois and for a matter of fact in the minority party. That said on the issue of diplomatic norms, having a background in international relations let me say that diplomatic norms are not laws .So what is being claimed in kenya is a gross misrepresentation of kenya /us relations.
b)The issue concerning Sen Obama is not one of the kenyan government and the US government but one between the jnr sen and the kenyan government
When it comes down to us kenya relations in the past three months here are the facts here on the ground.(Washington DC)
1. The letter to Sen Obama was to him and not to the white house or state department.Hence the lark of comment from the white house and the state department.
2. President Bush in the last three months has only discussed Kenyan issues publicly twice – with the president of Tanzania this week and when our ambassador presented his credentials earlier in the month .
3.The president of the united states has not commented so far on sen obamas visit to Kenya in anyway- all public statements are available on the white house website and in a public achieve of daily white house briefings.Reports attributed to unnamed officials by standard newspapers are false .
3. The state department has not issued any statement defending or speaking of sen obamas spat wit the government- daily briefings are available to the public.
4.Statements made about political stability in Kenya are not related to sen obama his visit or his row with the Kenyan government.Tanzanias involvement is simply because TZ is currently the African rep to the un security council and its membership to a us led contact group on horn of Africa security.-
5. The United States political system is one with emphasis on separation of powers. Sen. Obama is a Jnr democrat and not part of the executive branch hence President George bush did not comment of the issue. Infact i dont even think the president is aware of the spurt the senate leader Sen Frist(R) a frequent visitor to kenya and head of the senate foreign relations committee Sen. Lugar(R) have not commented on the letter sent to sen obama or His trip to Kenya .
Those are the facts here on the ground .As much as Some might not like The Current government false reporting to further the removal of the government can not justify lies and made up stories. The quality of journalism and the inefficiency of the Kenyan government/and Kenyan embassy staff to defend themselves is sad-If people want to remove this they dont have to cook up stories just tell people the facts -
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