The following statement was handed over to MP Walter Nyambati who is also the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission. The MP promised to raise the issues in the Statement with his colleagues once he gets back to Kenya. He also promised to take up the exclusion of some Kenyans from the evening’s meeting with Ambassador Purity and encouraged dialogue as a solution to problems facing Kenyans in Stockholm and the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia. He regretted that at a time when Kenya had a new Constitution, some Kenyans were still being prevented from attending meetings in Stockholm.
STATEMENT DELIVERED AT THE PICKET OUTSIDE THE RESIDENCE OF THE KENYAN AMBASSADOR TO SCANDINAVIA, MRS. PURITY MUHINDI BY “KENYANS AGAINST IMPUNITY IN STOCKHOLM”.
Thursday February 3rd 2011
Since her posting at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm, the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia, H.E Mrs. Purity Muhindi, has been more problematic than helpful especially to members of the Kenyan community in Stockholm. The Ambassador has not only been antagonistic but also divisive, arrogant and isolated from Kenyans whom she has and continues to treat as second class citizens.
When she was posted at the Embassy, a land grabbing scandal at the Ambassador’s official residence was in progress. In this case, a portion of land belonging to the Kenyan government was hived off and sold to a neighbor at 2 million Kenyan shillings, a transaction that was illegal and that reeked of corruption. When the issue was raised by Kenyans in Stockholm, the Ambassador continued to ignore it. It was not until Kenyans put pressure and intervened through the Swedish authorities that the stolen piece of land was recovered. At that time, a group of Kenyans picketed outside the Ambassador’s residence and she called the Swedish police even though no crime was in progress. We are picketing at the residence to protest against the following:
Corruption at the Embassy
Corruption scandals, visa fraud and tender rackets are just a few of the high points of corruption at the Embassy. The Ambassador’s residence is always “under renovation” while the sole reason why the Ambassador has been hosting Kenya national celebrations outside Sweden is because such “away receptions” provides her Office with several opportunities to engage in corruption. According to information in our custody, “inflated bills” tops the method of corruption at the Embassy followed by “Visa fraud” in which records of visa proceeds are doctored to short change the Treasury in Kenya thereby resulting in a surplus of huge sums of cash which is then embezzled. This fraud, which is extremely sophisticated, is done through the conniving of corrupt State officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nairobi. We call upon the Coalition government to investigate Ambassador Purity Muhindi because her corrupt activities are depriving the government of millions of Kenyan shillings that could increase government revenue.
Human trafficking
The Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm has become a hub of human trafficking in the whole of Scandinavia. This explains why junior Embassy staff are always being changed to give room for new arrivals. Once a subordinate staff member arrives in Sweden, the strategy is normally to “fire the employee” who is normally encouraged “to go underground” before a new employee is brought in from Kenya. The bigger problem is that victims of human smuggling (who normally part with a huge amount of money to the traffickers) usually begin miserable lives in Sweden as they start “looking for papers”. Worse still, others usually end up being deported to Kenya thereby losing whole life-time savings. The Ambassador’s cook, who was sacked unceremoniously, is the latest case in point. We are picketing outside the Embassy to call for a stop to the practice of human smuggling at the Embassy because it is causing untold human suffering to victims who are normally left alone, homeless and destitute.
Impunity
Since she was posted at the Embassy, the Ambassador has continued to act with impunity. In Kenya, corrupt politicians who are progressively rolling back the democratic gains, have and continue to act with impunity. Back in Stockholm, Purity is their extended arm in what has become known as the “Network of Impunity”. For example, celebrations of national days away from Stockholm, disrespect of Kenyans when they visit the Embassy, land grabbing at the residence, sacking Kenyan workers and replacing them with Swedish workers, failure to pay sacked workers their salaries, corruption at the Embassy, an “I don’t care attitude”, participation in the deportation of Kenyans, neglect of Kenyans even if they are freezing in the streets together with human smuggling and other forms of fraud are done because of the culture of impunity at the Embassy. Purity feels “protected” by her bosses in Nairobi. We are picketing outside her residence to call for an end to impunity at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm.
Lack of Service to Kenyan Citizens
The Embassy exists to serve the interests of Kenyans. However, the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia has systematically ignored Kenyans in distress even in the most deserving and urgent situations. Recently, a group of six Kenyans got stranded in Stockholm after being cheated by a conman that they would pursue their education in Sweden. Since they had nowhere to go, they began to sleep in the streets in the middle of one of the coldest Swedish winters known in history. When the Kenyans sought help from the Ambassador, they were chased away and told to find their way back to Kenya. The Kenyans slept in the streets for over one week before they were rescued by a Kenyan citizen who took them to his one-roomed flat as the Ambassador returned to her multi-roomed residence. When Kenyans heard about the plight of their countrymen, they began to send in food supplies and other humanitarian assistance as the Ambassador continued to neglect them. The case of the Kenyans is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Kenyan Embassy continues to participate in illegal deportation of Kenyan citizens, sometimes even in bizarre cases. Just like other citizens, there are Kenyans who enter into relationships with Swedes but the problem is that when such Kenyans are facing deportation under whatever circumstances, the Kenyan Ambassador has consistently abetted the Swedish State in sending them back to Kenya without due process of the law. This usually happens when a Kenyan facing deportation has no travel documents. The Embassy is well known for supplying “one way Travel Certificates” to the Swedish deportation police to repatriate these Kenyans back home even in situations where their rights are being violated. In extreme cases, none Kenyan citizens have found themselves in Kenya after the Embassy issued “Travel Certificates” under mysterious circumstances. We are picketing outside the Ambassador’s residence to protest against this practice and to demand that the Ambassador serve Kenyan citizens at the Embassy, not the Swedish deportation police.
Secrecy with Kenyan MPs and dignitaries visiting Sweden
Any Member of Parliament or dignitary who travels to Sweden for official function does so at tax payer’s expense to pursue tax payer’s interests. When these government officials travel to Sweden, the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia has a notorious habit of “shielding” these officials from Kenyans in Stockholm for unknown reasons. Government officials are representatives of the people who should not be shielded from their own people. Many Kenyans in Stockholm have issues to sort out with these officials at every possible opportunity and when such opportunities arise, the Ambassador has a notorious habit of secretly hand-picking her sycophants to meet these officials. This must stop!
Dictatorship at the Embassy
For those who are not aware, junior Embassy staff basically live in fear because of threats by Ambassador Purity. At the Embassy, staff members have to call her “Her Excellency”. Sad as it sounds, they serve her while “running” across the corridors to avoid being sacked. In short, Purity is authoritarian and dictatorial. We are picketing outside the Ambassador’s residence to demand that the Ambassador respect her members of staff.
Isolation from Kenyans
Ambassador Purity is basically unavailable to Kenyans in Scandinavia. She locks herself at the Embassy and rarely appears at Kenyan functions. She is in a “class of her own” and unlike her predecessors like Ambassador Michael Sergon and Ambassador Mukiri Kinyanjui, Purity Muhindi believes that Kenyans in Scandinavia are worthless. Ambassador Purity must come down to earth and stop isolating herself because members of the Kenyan community in Stockholm are not her enemies.
Tour of Duty Expired
Ambassador Purity Muhindi’s tour of duty has ended and therefore she needs to be recalled. She was posted at the Embassy in August 2006 and today, she has served more than four years at the Embassy. Because of her poor performance, and in view of the fact that she has outlived her time at the Embassy, we are calling upon the Kenyan government to recall her with immediate effect because she is a stumbling block to unity of Kenyans in Scandinavia. There is need for a new “Coalition Ambassador” in Scandinavia because Purity is still living during the days of Narc government. She is promoting the same impunity being practiced by her bosses in Kenya and therefore, she needs to go!
Martin Ngatia
Spokesperson
Kenyans Against Impunity in Stockholm
Kenyans Against Impunity in Stockholm is a group of Stockholm-based Kenyan organizations, Political parties, Human Rights Defenders, Academics, Workers, Students, Professionals, Church groups, Businessmen and independent individuals committed to fighting against impunity in Kenya and Internationally.
About the Author
Let me remind Wakenya the followings Purity Muhindi comes from the so called (Wenye Nchi Ya Kenya) na Kenya iko na Wenyewe .Purity was posted to Stockholm by none other than His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki (Mungu wenu) just look at this list and prove me wrong if Kikuyus do not own Kenya .Where were other tribes when Kibaki was making these tribal promotions? where wwere wambunge?>Solicitor General, Muchemi Wanjuki,Deputy Solicitor General, Muthoni Kimani,Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u,deputy registrar-general, F M Ng’ang’a, Registrar General Bernice Gachegu, Commisioner of Police Matthew Iteere, AP Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua,GSU boss Nyaga Reche,CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro,.NSIS Aterere Gichangi.Mwolio Githu for AG to complete the neocolonialism!. All due to RO 2002 ‘tosha’ MOU with kaguoya which, AS OF NOW STILL NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN deeply hidden evil!
According to what I have observed from all the events which took place at Ambassadors Purity Resident is not something which can be tolerated by the present situation of change. Kenyans need people who can unite all Kenyans to be one regardless of where he/she comes from. The status quos style of leadership ended last year in November 2010, now Kenyans want new fresh Constitution to bring in the lost love to come to the new Kenyans generation.
Any leader who was there since 1963 up to this moment and has not made any progress to his Constituency should match out peacefully before he or she is chased out like a dog. My appeal to electorates in all constituencies in Kenya is this; Do not be fooled by bribe in election time to vote to those type of leaders; but eat money and vote in a new blood.
Kenyans should know that the bloodshed we experiences in Kenya was brought in by our former leaders,from Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki both following the impunity, corruption, dynasty and nepotism. We must come out from that so that we can enjoy our freedom with peace.
Now there is another way of continuing with the very system if these leaders want it to be; The simple way is to go by Majimbo so that one can prictice those styles in his or her region but not for all Kenyans to be tied in one pot.One day that pot will burst and no piece will be found around.Those with ears can hear my saying and those without ears let them not hear. Ambassador should be for all Kenyans regardless of their tribes.She must represent all Kenyans and that is why she is there.Lastly Kenya Government should cooperate with ICC Hague to prosecute the named six.If the Government can not do so, then the World will know that the President is the one who commanded the violence to happen. That is a clear open sign of guilty.Otherwise President Kibaki should tell us why he is playing games with Kenyans people’s minds? We don’t have any secrets under the Sun which will not be known everything will be seen on top of the roof and at daylight.
tis only in stockholm that u will realise that although Kenyans are equal some are more equal than others…she*they* kept me waiting for traveling document for more than one week and to make matters worse hawakunipea,,,u wonder wether they are waiting for their Nairobi bosses to come sign the doc so that i can be given….so as i speak i will only travel if and only Purity and her troup of smuggled labour force are recalled
Kibaki Must be stopped from killing our hard worn democracy in kenya by using un-othondox methods by shielding the Six named by mr Lois Moreno Ocampo.
Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto, Muthaura,General Ali Hussein and Sang must be arrested and handed over to the Icc in Hague.These guys are planning and scheming mayhem in Kenya.Strange fires ,in Nairobi and in slam areas must be the dirty work from these ringleaders and musterminds of pev. trying to frighten and to intimadate the wananchi.
What happens in other Embassies are horror films compared to the Stockholm case.
“Kenya’s minister for foreign affairs resigned last month before the opening of an investigation into an alleged multi-million dollar corruption scandal involving Kenyan embassies in Africa, Europe and Asia.
The corrupt practice at the embassies was exposed by a Kenyan parliamentary committee.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/kenya-fumes-over-cable-branding-it-a-swamp-of-corruption-2148013.html
The culture of impunity is one of the key points damaging Kenya.
During Kibaki’s tenure, there have been several ministers suspended from their posts after damning evidence connected them to one scandal or another. Yet only a few short months later, they were back in a new ministry post with virtually a blank slate. One of the most admirable features of Kenya is the free press, which exposes these scandals and offers varying opinions and good analysis. Still, with the volume of issues that crop up, many Kenyans have a short memory for past scandals, with only a few voices howling in dissent as dishonest politicians are returned to plum positions.
In my view, a concerted effort to make easily accessible files for public consumption that chronicle the misdeeds of politicians would be a huge stride. Currently, a few people raise alarm bells, but any removal of a minister is normally temporary (unless, of course, the removal were related to trials surrounding the post-election violence, in which case, the removal would only probably be temporary).
There are some bright spots in Kenyan politics to be sure. Aaron Ringera, the ineffectual leader of the Kenyan Anti-Corruption Commission, had his renomination blocked as unconstitutional. Major General Hussein Ali was finally removed from his post atop the police department after an extensive list of scandals (though he is now comfortably running the post offices).
Martha Karua is perhaps one of the greatest figures in Kenyan politics, standing up to the government, and refusing to be complicit in shady dealings. She resigned from her post atop the Justice Ministry after it became clear that the government was shifting power away from her and towards more pliable ministers.
One cannot help reflecting how much better Africans in Kenya would be today had the British colonial authorities simply hanged Kenyatta and his Mau-mau accomplices back when it was clear they were just terrorists with innocent blood on their hands and before they were handed the levers of state power in preposterous ceremonies. Kenya is going Zimbabwe’s way. Prepare for pictures of children with distended stomachs and claims of how the country needs aid “because the rains have failed”.