Kenya Stockholm Blog

Embassy Tight-Lipped On Diplomat Kinyua’s Lost Container

The Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm has remained tight-lipped on the case of a container belonging to Diplomat George Kinyua which disappeared on its way to Canada.

When KSB called the Embassy yesterday to follow progress on the container, no official was willing to talk about the issue. According to protocol, Jenipher Awuor, the Principal Counselor, was the officer mandated to talk on the issue. However, KSB was informed that she was not in the office.

An official advised that KSB leave a message so that Awuor could return the call when she was back in the office and this was done. A message was left to the effect that KSB was following the container story and that Awuor call back for talks over the issue. In typical style, she never returned the call.

We did however manage to talk to Mr. Daniel Kotutt, the First secretary, but he was not of much help because he said that he did not know anything about the issue.

It is standard practice at the Embassy for an official to be “out of office”, “out for lunch” or “on another phone” when it comes to “hot” or “thorny” issues touching on the Embassy. The beaten line is the “Leave a message” choice delivered when we called so that the official could “call back” as soon as possible which, in many cases, never happens.

So far, there has been no update about the issue at the Embassy’s web site neither has the Ambassador released a Statement to state the Embassy position over the issue. When the site was set up, there were hopes that it could be used to straighten things that were of public interest but so far, this has not been happening although scandals continue to roll out of the Embassy.

Kinyua’s container disappeared after the Embassy hired “VIP Shipping”, a fake company to transport the container to Canada where Mr. Kinyua had been transferred. Many Kenyans who have called KSB sympathize with Mr. Kinyua who is seen as a classic victim of corruption at the Embassy.

Okoth Osewe

March 18, 2008 - Posted by makozewe | Politics: The View from stockholm