When I laid dowm my “AK47” following fire at Ambassador Purity, I was at the point where she
had abolished the new culture of an “all night Jamhuri bash” her predecessor, Ambassador Mukiri Kinyanjui, had introduced in Kenya-Stockholm. At first, Kinyanjui was demonized by a cross section of Kenyans because he was a “KANU Ambassador”, having been appointed by Moi. But later, Kinyanjui’s “smooth operator” streak placated fire-breathing opponents who had called for his recall on grounds that the Narc government needed a “Narc Ambassador” at the all strategic Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm.
Just like Barack Obama, history was on Kimyanjui’s side because a dictator had just been routed from power through a popular political wave and when Kinyanjui arrived in Stockholm to take over from Ambassador Michael Sergon who had beenrelocated to Israel, the general mood in Kenya-Stockholm was dominated by a feeling that “Kinyanjui be given a chance” so that Kenyans here could follow his performance because although he was appointed by Moi, he was serving under a new government that had came to power under new circumstances.
What Kinyanjui did is that he assumed a simple mien that tended to sooth opponents while at the same time, he became too open with Kenyans who were used to Ambassadors who sat more on the ivory tower than acculturate with a critical mass of Kenyans more accustomed to a distant Embassy than an invitative-taking Ambassador.
Combined with the advantage of Narc having come to power thereby melting the anti-Kinyanjui mood whose breath was being drawn from his perceived KANU background, Kinyanjui began to use his position to meet certain basic expectations of Kenyans even in situations which appeared beyond his control.
The “selective invitations” to Jamhuri was a challenge but he beat it up by opening the show to every Kenyan. He then proceeded to introduce the “all-night” Jamhuri bashes and to ensure that he didn’t get caught up in the mess that often comes with Kenyans when they have been taking one too many, he sent his foot soldiers to represent him. For Kenyans, his absence at Jamhuri bashes was compensated by the free vinywaji he provided, something Kenyans were not used to.
At times, he appeared at Kenyan parties at Norsborg and mingled before he left, just on time before walevi could pop up with silly questions. When there was a special Kenyan event, he made sure he appeared. This was the case with the Clay wedding and the Mbugua wedding. He followed into Sergon’s foot-steps who attended the Mberi wedding, the first public wedding in Kenya-Stockholm which opened the way to other weddings – kudos to the Mberis!
Kinyanjui is the kind of dude you could invite at your house because he was very approachable. When the so called Kenyan dignitaries came to Stockholm during those occasions when they wasted tax payer’s money, Kinyanjui would make sure that he tipped the Kenya-Stockholm radicals led by Mr. Martin Ngatia “GG” kusomea the madosis kama umbwa. One of those critical moments when Minister Katuku alikua akisomewa was captured on video and later posted at Youtube – thanks to Kinyanjui. In fact, you could meet Kinyanjui at the gates of System (liquor store) and he would proceed to invite you at his place if you had time.
When Chelimo and company came to Stockholm about two months after Narc came to power, Kinyanjui sent a message to Kenyans through the SMS Network to come to his residence and meet them. Then, Mirugi Kariuki and company came to Stockholm and they were pushed into a corner by Kinyanjui who exposed them to Wakenya. I don’t have to mention the East African delegation whom we met at Scandic Hotel to challenge them about the validity of privatizing Kenyan Railways. Years later, Kenyans who challenged them have been vindicated because the privatization venture has failed! (see KSB Youtube videos)
THE REAL PURITY
When a group of Kenyans formed a Committee and requested to meet Kinyanjui at the Embassy to discuss logistics for Jamhuri, they got more than they had bargained for. Kinyanjui ushered them into his inner office (leave alone the board room) where he usally met dignitaries. There is a special chair in that office which is difficult to miss – the chair of the mdosi. Interestingly, Kinyanjui invited a member of the Committee to sit on the chair and you could have been there to giggle on the surprise that covered his face. If you want to get the details of what happened, ask Moses Trubadur who was also at the meeting. I am not holding brief for Kinyanjui here. The point is that the catastrophic failure of Purity Muhindi in her dealings with Kenyans is that she didn’t get it from the word go.
The problem with Purity is that she thought that since she is the Ambassador, Kenyans should automatically respect and adore her like the Queen of Wakenya In Stocky. This is not the way things work in Stockholm. There is the adage that “no one pays my bills and I exists without you so?”, who is Purity?
In Kenya, people fall for positions because they are broke or because they are expecting favours aka kitu kidogo – not in Stockholm. Kenyans could be cleaning wazee, hotels, MacD or washing plates, doing reklam or what they need to do to survive but at the end of the day, they drive their Benzes, BMWs, Pajeros and go on holiday in Italy, Bulgeria, Bahamas and so fourth so they don’t need Purity economically speaking.
In fact, when they go to Kenya, they are treated like Kings and Queens because they land when they are loaded with cash. Only a stupid Kenya-Stockholmer will go down there and begin to talk to relatives and other parasites that he/she is broke. I am not encouraging this behavior though. They save for that trip to Kenya and when they return to Stocky, you need to be there to listen to the latest situation back home. The problem is that Kenyans at home also expect to be treated when you have just arrived from chambele so how on earth do you land without kwachas? Who needs Purity and her maringo when every one works out their own ways and means regardless of what Purity is doing at the Embassy?
There is no question that Purity knows how to dress. She has the typical dream figure of millions of Swedish women and at 48, she obviously looks younger than her age – congrants. If you don’t know her, you can be seduced by her jolly smiles, elaborate postures and a stunning ability to listen. When she greets you at those two hour Jamhuri runs, you can be misled when she holds your hand for some time as she smiles at you with her head slightly tilted towards the left. I know her because as a writer, I am also very observant.
Purity definitely knows how to carry herself in public and for a new comer, it could be difficult to understand why this crook of a person called Okoth Osewe keeps attacking her at his stupid blog and at every opportunity. Catch me if you can but Purity deserves no mercy. The truth is that behind the facade of innocent smiles, listening postures, tilted necks and see no evil displays is a ruthless and cunning personality which only Embassy staff members can narrate.
How else do you place the decision by Purity to kidnap an ailing Embassy staff member (Cheruyiot) she has worked with to be deported to Kenya together with his family? When I visited Cheruiyot in hospital after the botched kidnap attempt, I was moved because Cheruiyot was a dying man. His property had been packed in a container and what remained was to kidnap him from hospital with elaborate arrangements having been made including a woman doctor having been flown all the way from Kenya to facilitate the kidnap operation after doctors said that they could not release the patient if he wouldn’t be accompanied by a doctor to Kenya.
Of cause, one could be tempted to think that I am just exaggerating the situation because I am propagandistic. But. How do you view the case of Njenga who was sacked by Purity, denied his salary, forced to take coffee breaks in a garage and, worst of all, forced to carry his own shit in a jwala because he was unfit to shit in Purity’s toilet, the same toilet he used to download his waste products when Kinyanjui (who hired him) was in charge? That is the real Purity, in sharp contrast to the Purity smiling at Jamhuri. Is there any Kenyan who will shade tears if Purity is recalled? If you ask me, I would say bye bye Purity and sing “God be with you until we meet again”. Purity “Sunset-Blues” to be continued.
Okoth Osewe
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