Kenya Stockholm Blog

ODM-S Statement On Attempted Kidnap Of Kenyan Diplomat

Since last Thursday, the Kenyan community inside and outside Sweden has been in a state of shock following a despicable decision by Ambassador Purity Muhindi to send Embassy staff to kidnap a seriously sick and bed ridden Kenyan diplomat from his hospital bed at Karolinska and deport him to Kenya.

The attempt failed after 15 Kenyans intervened to physically stop Embassy staff from loading the diplomat into a medical van destined for Arlanda airport. The patriotic Kenyans not only occupied the van but also called police before the deportation could be stopped. The matter is now on the hands of Swedish Immigration officials.

A part from the crude attempt by the Embassy staff to play the role of “Immigration police”, property belonging to the diplomat had been packed into a container ready to be shipped to Kenya, his children cut from attending school by the Embassy, a one way ticket bought for the family and a date set for the diplomat together with his family to be repatriated to Kenya.

The diplomat has served the Kenyan government for 20 years while he has been working at the Embassy for the last five years. The treatment he was being given by the failing Kibaki government represented by Ambassador Purity Muhindi was cruel to say the least.

The kidnap attempt of a terribly sick patient who has been one of her own employees at the Embassy to be repatriated to Kenya to die has exposed a vicious, inhumane and potentially murderous aspect of Purity’s character that has hitherto remained obscure from public view. In all fairness, Purity had the power to influence Nairobi to stop this callous act but she failed to do so.

The demonic move has widely been condemned by the Kenyan community in Stockholm who view it as evidence that the failure of Ambassador Purity Muhindi to touch base with Kenyans in Stockholm since her posting is based on an underlying and sinister attitude not just towards the Kenyan community but also Embassy staff she works with.

If the Ambassador could treat one of her own employees with such terrible antipathy, what can she do to other Kenyans if she had the power? Does this action explain why the Ambassador has been treating Kenyans like garbage since she was posted to Stockholm a year ago? 

The Orange Democratic Movement – Scandinavia condemns the attempted kidnap of the Kenyan diplomat from hospital and calls upon the Embassy to stop all contacts with the diplomat because the botched attempt has demonstrated that the Embassy is not in a position to act in the interest of the diplomat.

Secondly, ODM calls for an investigation to establish the real circumstances behind the attempted kidnap of the diplomat because it was in total violation of both diplomatic etiquette and the Swedish law which bans diplomats from taking the law unto their own hands especially on questions dealing with repatriation of individuals back to their home countries.

In this case, Embassy staff was playing the role of the Swedish immigration police in an attempt to repatriate an ailing and bed ridden patient unfit to travel to Kenya under any circumstance.

“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
As the eye of the Kenyan government in Sweden, Ambassador Purity cannot argue that the Embassy was acting out of a “government order” because it was the responsibility of the Ambassador to strongly advise the government based on the situation on the ground and to underline the fact that the question of repatriating the diplomat to Kenya should not be on the agenda.

What did the Ambassador do? She collaborated with government officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send Dr. Wanyika, a dermatologist, to Sweden as part of the operation to kidnap the diplomat from hospital. In our view, the role of Dr. Wanuika should have been to help evaluate the diplomat’s situation with a view to looking into how he could further be helped by the government, not assisting to dispatch him to the grave by repatriating him to Kenya where the Health care system has collpased as a result of corruption.

As if that was not enough, Ambassador Purity went ahead to arrogantly mobilize innocent Embassy staff (forced to take orders) to participate in the illegal action of trying to remove the diplomat from his bed before the situation turned ugly forcing the Swedish police to intervene. Shame on Ambassador Purity!

ODM believes that Ambassador Purity Muhindi has failed in her responsibilities and that this latest action is the last straw which should signal the Ambassador’s departure from the Embassy to prevent any future mistakes which could have unforeseen or fatal consequences in the future. If the diplomat had died on his way to Kenya, could the Ambassador have taken responsibility?

As a Party, ODM is in the process of making recommendations for the immediate recall of the Ambassador once the Party seizes power in Kenya and on this note, the Party would like to put the Ambassador on high alert that she has to go once her Boss President Mwai Kibaki goes in December.

ODM could have liked to defend the Ambassador to retain her position since she has only served for one year. However, she has shown that she is anti-Kenyan people during her short stay at the Embassy. We understand that there is a huge crisis at the Embassy because of divisions between the Ambassador and staff members on numerous issues including unpaid salaries and corruption. Ambassador Purity is a major destabilizing force at the Embassy while she is a source of constant headache to Kenyans here and this is why she needs to give way.

ODM appeals to Kenyans to help mobilize a campaign to ensure that the Ambassador is shown the door at the earliest time possible because her actions are incompatible with her role as the representative of the Kenyan government in Scandinavia while her every move has not been in the interest of Kenyans this region. “Enough is enough”. Kenyans have been asking “Why”. Now is the time to say “No”.

Mrs Hellen Opwapo
Chairlady, ODM Scandinavia 

November 27, 2007 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment