The Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia H.E Mr. Daniel Mukiri Kinyanjui blocked a Press conference that was supposed to be held in Oslo last week and which was supposed to address the circumstances under which Mr. James Kiboi, a Kenyan diplomat, died. Mr. Kiboi perished in a house inferno on the morning of Sunday September 10th. The Press conference was supposed to be held by Mr. Sam Korir, a Kenyan in Oslo together with other people who had been in Mr. Kiboi’s company since he arrived in Oslo on Thursday September 7th.
“Both the Kenyan Ambassador Mr. Kinyanjui and the Norwegian police told me not to go ahead with the Press conference because of police investigations”, Mr. Korir told Kenya Stockholm Blog on telephone.
The Kenyan said that Mr. Kiboi died in the middle of a long standing conflict between him and a group of people in Oslo. He said that the situation was so serious that the Kenyan community in Oslo had planned to travel to Stockholm for a meeting with the Ambassador on August 25th 2006 to resolve the conflict. The meeting never materialized because, according to Mr. Korir, the Ambassador refused to mediate arguing that the conflict was not based on an official matter concerning the Kenyan government.
Different sources that have spoken to KSB have confirmed the line that Mr. Kiboi’s death is linked to a “conflict”. People in the know about the real circumstances are divided on the question of releasing information.
According to one group, there is a danger in releasing the details because since there is a general consensus that a crime might have been involved, releasing details might lead to prosecutions which might land the culprits in jail for life. This group also argues that the details could be so painful especially to Kiboi’s family and that it is better to leave the late diplomat rest in peace instead of burdening the family with unwanted and negative details.
According to another group, the truth should be told so that those who might have been involved in any criminal activity can be brought to face justice. This group’s position is that the truth should form part of the healing process of Kiboi’s family.
In a brief communication transmitted by Mr. Korir, the Kenyan said that as a top diplomat, Kiboi should have been careful when it came to dealing with people whose backgrounds he did not know especially during late hours in the night. The communication said that on several occasions when he was in Oslo, Mr. Kiboi failed to heed advise on his personal security.
Okoth Osewe
makosewe@gmail.com
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