Kenya Stockholm Blog

Ambassador Purity Escapes Recall Once Again

New diplomatic appointments have been made by the fragile Coalition government in Kenya and once again, Ambassador Purity Muhindi, manning the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm, has escaped the axe. The appointments came only days after the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) scooped majority seats in strategic Parliamentary Committees including the Public Accounts Committee and Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, a surprising development that was seen by pundits as a stage-managed coup by ODM against their haranguing PNU protagonists.

Purity enjoying herself with foreigners after abandoning Kenyans

For Purity, this must have been a welcome relief because her docket in Scandinavia is among those ear-marked by ODM for takeover, not just because of the strategic nature of the Scandinavian countries but because PNU loyalists have been manning all key Embassies in the Kenya diplomatic village including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and China.

Secondly, Purity is so unpopular among Kenyans in Stockholm to an extent that she has literally resigned from trying to woo the Kenyan community here, choosing instead, to entrench her activities within the foreign diplomatic community and self-help organizations especially those seeking to exploit her Ambassadorial profile to further an organizational agenda.

Since her posting in Sweden in August 2006, she has never presided over as the “Guest of Honour” at any Kenyan function yet she is always ready to accept such invitations when extended by other non Kenyan groups or organizations.

For example, it is easier for Purity to give a speech at a function of the “Mama Zebra type” to fund raise for causes in other countries other than attend a similar function organized by say Pastor Beatrice Kamau who is running a children’s home in Kenya.

When she was last seen at Mama Zebra’s fund raising, she was accompanied by the recently recalled “hand bag carrier”, Ms Jenipher Awuor, whose departure from Stockholm was a big relief because she had become a catastrophe due to her iddleness at the Embassy and poor Public Relations record.

Purity likes to travel regardless of whether or not the purpose is mediocre. She could be on the run to Gothenburg to attend an art exhibition simply because she has been invited by a non Kenyan group while at the same time skipping a Kenyan Sports function for the youth in Stockholm.

If you don’t understand her, Purity is the kind of Ambassador who can attend a Swedish cultural function but when you invite her to a similar function within the confines of Kenya-Stockholm, she is likely to be negative because she is used to meeting Kenyans only during National holidays which is normally once or twice a year.

REPORT ON PURITY UNDER PREPERATION
We are talking about an Ambassador who is more likely to host a Swedish “Women’s function” at her official residence in Nacka than accept an invitation by the Stockholm-based Maendeleo ya Wanawake whose leadership she has never even met. These cases I am citing are well documented so the question of witch hunting does not arise.

Her favorites are the “high profile occasions” such as when the first charter flight to Mombasa from Sweden was being initiated just before the December 2007 elections. She was there in full swing and one positive aspect of her excursions is that she is always in African dress to promote the African culture.

A few weeks ago, a group of Kenyan politicians (including a Mayor) came to Sweden for some exchange visit organized through the Moderate Party. As the Kenyans were being given a cold shoulder by the Swedish authorities, many Kenyans wondered where Purity had gone as our fellow citizens were humiliated in what was a clear case of racism and discrimination of foreign visitors by the Swedish authorities. Although the story attracted the attention of the Swedish press, a check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed that Purity has never filed a complaint.

Another scene with Purity feeling comfy: She has never attended a Nyama Choma

Ambassador Purity has not yet been recalled but she has reasons to worry because her friend, Joseph Muchemi, who has been manning the corruption ridden Kenya High Commission in the United Kingdom was among those recalled. As I have stated in the past, the continued survival of Purity at the Embassy may be linked to her relationship with the First Lady, Lucy Kibaki, who is said to have facilitated her appointment.

Purity herself is so much a Kibaki woman that even after the Coalition government was put into place and Raila became Prime Minister, she refused to update the Kenya Embassy web site to reflect the new reality which had Raila as an equal partner of Kibaki. The website continued to reflect the post 2002 December elections for more than nine months after the 2007 election rigging which plunged Kenya into crisis. She updated the site only after I continued to remind her to do so on grounds that the site was not reflecting the reality of Kenyan politics.

I am preparing a full Report on Purity to be handed over to the Kenyan government so that she can be recalled. The Report gives grounds why she has failed at the Kenyan Embassy and why she needs to be recalled.

Okoth Osewe

June 22, 2009 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | 2 Comments

Rose Wachira Says “Thank You Very Much”

Rose Wachira, is back from Kenya after attending the burial of her Mom back home. Speaking to KSB, Rose said that she would like to thank everybody who supported her following the demise of her Mom. “I would like to thank everybody who came to my flat during the Open House and all others who helped in various ways”, she told KSB from her residence.

She said that her entire family in Nairobi was very grateful for the moral, emotional and other support they received following the sudden and tragic loss of a loved member of their family. She hoped that the spirit of solidarity she received will continue to spread among the Kenyan community especially in Stockholm because we are very far away from home. “Again, thank you very much”, she said.

Okoth Osewe

June 22, 2009 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment