After a stressful week for Ambassador Purity Muhindi marked by tremendous pounding of the Kenyan Embassy by Kenyans in Stockholm on the contentious issue of “Selective invitations” to Kenyatta day reception, the Ambassador can now relax while her Deputy, Ms Jenipher Awuor, can now take a deep breath of fresh air because the event is finally over.
Although it was the first Kenyatta day that was being marked by the Embassy, Kenyans like Mr. Joseph Munene, Ms Josephine Ng’ang’a and Ms Mercy Wanjohi did not hesitate to fire missiles at the Embassy for failing to send them invitation letters to attend the event. Numerous Kenyans also complained on the side-lines thereby elevating the issue of Jamhuri invitations to the level of a controversy.
When Kenyatta day was eventually held on Saturday 20th October, it was like the Embassy had abandoned the line of “selective invitations”, choosing instead, to send a clear message that the event was open to all Kenyans.
In a damage control mechanism, Mr. Geoge Kinywa, the First secretary, announced at Bagarmossen Church that all Kenyans were welcome to the event with or without invitations. When the Kenya Social Forum took contact with the Embassy on Thursday, the line was the same – that the event was “Open to all Kenyans”.
This was in sharp contrast to the text of the invitation letter circulated to a section of Kenyans and which did not include a wider invitation of members of the community to the function. Much of the criticisms that was directed at the Embassy was based on the understanding that the invitation letter was very specific with the name of the Guest clearly spelt out on the letter. In cases where a guest was invited with a spouse, this was clearly stated.
Despite the hoopla that surrounded the Kenyatta day invitations, the event was well attended and there was no attempt whatsoever to stop anybody from entering the reception hall. Once you handed over your Jacket to the staff at the entrance of the Restaurant, you were given a jacket number after which you just walked in to be confronted with a forest of intoxicants plus soft drinks patched on two tables strategically placed at the left and right wings of the oblong-shaped reception hall.
Polite Restaurant staff then asked you kindly to place your order. You should have been there to witness how Kenyans behave like Saints when making orders of alcoholic beverages. A phrase that was common among “gate-crashers was: “I was not invited but I am here”.
MRS MURAYA, NATIONAL ANTHEM AND EMBASSY CONNECTIONS
Ambassador Purity, her hubby Mr. Muhindi and Purity’s second in command, Ms Awuor were on standby at the entrance to shake hands with incoming guests who were then ushered into the spacious reception hall that was immaculately arranged for the occasion.
Purity was clad in her distinguishing “Kitenge series” complete with a head-scarf while Awuor followed majestically in her foot-steps. The two top “Embassy Ladies” seem to favour swanky dresses and their affinity for Kitenges appears hooked on a strong desire to send an “African”, if not “Kenyan message” to the fashion industry.
On the surface, there was no disdain towards hard-core Embassy critics and it was almost impossible to detect that the reception was taking place against a back drop of venomous attacks and complaints especially on the question of invitations.
The Embassy had worked very hard to put together an assembly of drinks including Tusker which blended with the meaty delicacies that were on offer to provide a fantastic moment of Kenyans and friends in Sweden to engage in a moment of undisturbed consumption of tax payer’s money as they chatted away the evening.
The creativity was so original that even Sambosas had been taxied in to complete the Kenyan menu. When I tried to enquire from Awuor a few days ago the amount of tax payer’s money that had been pumped into the meat and booze in the name of Kenyatta day, she admitted that she didn’t actually know. May be, the Treasurer knows better.
There was a period of familiarization and after a sizable crowd appeared to have converged, the Program kicked off. It was non other than Mrs Lisa Muraya who won the heart of the Ambassador who, in turn, honoured her with the privilege of leading the guests in singing the Kenyan national anthem. There is no debate about Mrs Muraya’s angelic voice and she took up the challenge with gusto. She had the text of the anthem on paper and this suggested that she was in the game plan much earlier.
If you have forgotten, the Murayas are the latest Kenyan couple to have made history when it comes to Kenya Stockholm public weddings. As she prepared to take the audience through the anthem, it was impossible to ignore the expectation of her powerful voice which first surfaced in public with a captivating Love song she weaved for her new husband at her spectacular wedding mid last month.
The couple is currently enjoying a measure of respect for having pulled the wedding in a situation where relationships are collapsing and wives are being snatched without notice in complicated Kenya Stockholm. Of cause, Mr. Muraya was also there clad in a black and white stripped suite to busk in the glory of his wife being the lead singer of the National anthem and there was no talk of “where is your husband?”
The fact that Mrs Muraya led the singing of the national anthem was a confirmation of the mysterious bond between the Kenyan embassy and the Murayas. From Kiss agents who have been investigating the connection, the main link in the chain seem to be Mrs Catherine Kiboi, an “Administrative attaché” at the Embassy and a member of the Bagarmossen Church where the Murayas have a very strong base.
At her wedding, it was Mrs Kiboi’s silver Benz that dropped Lisa at the Church while Ambassador Purity delivered the “Embassy stamp” by lacing the wedding with her presence together with her husband Mr. Muhindi. It must be remembered that Purity did not attend the wedding of Pastor Beatrice mid this year although the wedding was also public. Beatrice is a known critic of the Ambassador, a factor that could have influenced her decision to skip the wedding.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR KENYANS IN DIASPORA
After the National anthem, Jenipher Awuor stepped behind the microphone and welcomed her boss to address the audience. Decision to include the address in the Program was a deviation from previous Embassy routine at public receptions like Jamhuri day because the Ambassador never addresses the guests.
By delivering an address, the Embassy seem to have responded to criticisms that public holidays should not be converted into a two hour drinking spree without the guests being reminded about the significance of the National day being celebrated. At the Jamhuri day last year, Purity never addressed the crowd.
In a well prepared and elaborate speech, the Ambassador said that the government believes that Kenyans in Diaspora can make a valuable contribution towards transforming Kenya into a middle-income country.
“In this respect, many initiatives have been taken and continue to be taken by individuals, groups, organizations, the private sector and the government to encourage the Kenyan Diaspora to participate even more actively in our National development”, she said.
She said that the large community of Kenyans in Diaspora contribute Ksh 67 billion annually through remittances, cash that, she said, had helped transform the economy substantially, adding that the potential to impact the economy even more remained enormous.
She said that “Investment opportunities exists in many areas including infrastructure, housing, equity, shares and Nairobi Stock Exchange”.
She informed the audience that in recognition of skills of Kenyans in the Diaspora, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had established a Diaspora Community Department whose duty among others is to place qualified Kenyans in International jobs.
“We urge those of you in a position to utilize this opportunity to make use of it”, she told the attentive audience. She said that Kenyans in Diaspora had much to contribute in terms of skills and knowledge transfer, arguing that with such a contribution, the “brain drain” in Kenya could be converted into “brain gain”.
KENYA EMBASSY WEB SITE LAUNCHED
In a speech that appeared to have been designed to ignite the interest of Kenyans in Scandinavia, the Ambassador said that the government was aware about special concerns of Kenyans in Diaspora especially on the issue of dual citizenship, voting from abroad, travel facilitation and simplification of rules to facilitate Banking. She said that the government was looking into the issues.
She said that the Kenyan economy had grown with 6% and that projections with the 2030 plan was to see an annual average growth of the economy with at least 10%.
She praised the growth in Revenue collection which, she said, increased by 106% last year. She also mentioned the growing economic cooperation between Kenya and Sweden, the success of the CDF funds and praised Kenyan heroes who were being honoured at Kenyatta day.
“The example of our freedom fighters reminds us that ultimately, we live together with one another and for one another – Kwa umoja pamoja”, she said.
She added: “Kenyatta day is an invitation for all of us to pick up the challenge to transcend the things that divide us and promote the things that bind us in a collective endeavour to fulfil the dreams of our Nationalism for a peaceful, wealthy and caring Nation of wealthy and selfless people”. Details of the Ambassador’s speech will be released later by KSB.
After her presentation, the Ambassador announced the launching of the Kenya-Embassy website in Sweden.
“To facilitate communication between us, the Mission is happy to launch here with it today the official web site of Kenya Embassy in Sweden”, she said. The launching of the site is yet another piece of evidence that the Embassy was responding to criticism. Kenyans have been calling for the site saying that it could help with communication between the Embassy and the community.
The address of the site is www.kenyaembassystockholm.com. Ambassador Purity said that the Embassy was proud that the web site had been developed by Kenyans under the umbrella of Safi Media. A presentation of the site on a projector was made by Safi Media. The Ambassador used the occasion to introduce Embassy staff to the guests.
After the Kenyatta day reception, eyes are now fixed on Jamhuri day scheduled for 12th December. It can only be hoped that a repeat of the stigmas that characterized the Kenyatta day will not surface when time to celebrate Jamhuri day comes around.
Okoth Osewe
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