According to a KSB head-count, there were about 70 Kenyans and friends who turned up at the Jamhuri day reception hosted by the Kenyan Embassy at the Elite Palace Hotel in Stockholm city. Her Excellency, Ambassador Purity Muhindi was at hand to receive the guests at the entrance. She shook hands with them while hugged others as they were ushered into the main hall.
Traditionally, it is the Ambassador’s hubby who normally flanks her as she welcomes guests but yesterday, it was Mr. Andambi who was by her side.
It took some time before food was served although guests were allowed to take drinks. The menu comprised of fried chicken, hot dogs and lamb meat served with well prepared rice and salad. Guests of all ages lined up as they waited patiently for their turns to fill up their plates before emptying them into their stomachs.
Apart from wine, there was no liquor and believers from Vasa Temple who had suspended prayers during early afternoon to attend the Jamhuri hoping to swallow the “tax-payer inspired” holy waters were disappointed. There was no beer, whisky or “conjakto” to wash the luscious meal down the throat.
In the background was Sound of Blackness providing background music with VJs Safi and Frank spinning. The two VJs appear to have worked their way into the “Embassy system” because they seem to be getting every entertainment-related Embassy contract after designing the Embassy’s website which is never updated except during national days. Nevertheless, the music was not just superb but also nostalgic and the choice of numbers blended with the “independence mood” that dominated the atmosphere to evoke mixed feelings counterpoising the successes and failures of the Republic since flag independence forty eight years ago.
At one point, you could see yourself as a successful Kenyan living in Stockholm city, with a well paying job, nice house, a high living standard and enjoying the Kenyan tax payer’s money “to remember our independence” but as soon as you swallowed ugali, your mind could be invaded with images of starving children, unemployed youths, corruption in government, police executions in the streets, Mathare valley slums, flying toilets and a dysfunctional government. You could then lose your appetite briefly before resuming your meal after recollecting yourself to understand that you actually came to the reception to eat.
Once the munching was over, the agenda moved to the next item. Mr. Andambi climbed on stage to open the evening’s program by leading in the singing of the national anthem. Surprisingly, Andambi did not know how to sing the national anthem and he was reading from a script containing the lyrics. Being a diplomat, one could have expected him to have crammed the lyrics even if it meant practicing 24/7. Andambi then invited Ambassador Purity to address the guests before the Ambassador climbed on stage to read a prepared speech in Swahili.
Politically, the speech was empty because it did not take up the big issues affecting the country 48 years after independence like corruption in high places, run-away prices of consumer commodities and systematic depreciation of the Kenyan shilling. One could have expected the Ambassador to elaborate on solutions to the widening gap between the rich and the poor in Kenya or a justification of Kenya’s adventurous war in Somalia but there was nothing.
Likewise, there was no word about a spate of workers’ strikes in Kenya, drug peddling at State House (remember untouchables) and demolition of houses in Nairobi. The Ambassador left the stage after reading her speech. Andambi, who was playing the MC, then bounced back to push the program forward. Just before he left the stage, Andambi tipped the audience that there was an announcement that was on the way so guests held their cue.
Next, Pastor Tillahr was invited to address the guests. At first, guests thought that he was to pray. When Raila Odinga came to Stockholm, Tillahr was the Pastor who was chosen among the Kenya-Stockholm Pastors to pray. Strangely, Tillahr focused on “a moment of silence” in memory of Kenyans who recently lost their lives here. Although they were not named, the deaths of Dr. Charles Njonjo and Boniface Gacheru who recently passed away in their flats in Stockholm, easily came to mind.
KESWAD
Once the silence was over, Tillahr cracked some jokes before getting down to business. He announced that a new organization called “Kenya Sweden Association for Development (KESWAD)” had been formed. After making some propaganda for the organization, the Pastor paraded its leaders to the guests then urged Wakenya to fill in forms that were provided so that they could become members. Dr. Margaret Obondo, one of the leaders, was then invited to address the audience.
According to a brochure circulated to guests, KESWAD styles itself as an organization whose mission is to “strengthen Diaspora and enhance the ties with Kenya by harnessing individual and collective talent”. The organization also seeks to “unify progressive minded Kenyans and friends of Kenya in Sweden, with shared values, goals and aspirations…”
Although the initiative sounded very progressive, some Kenyans who spoke to KSB wondered why they were being invited to join an organization that had been formed secretively, registered secretively and its interim leaders hand-picked under circumstances they did not understand. The problem is that the hazy circumstances under which the organization was introduced makes it look like another “Kenya Embassy project”. A Kenyan told KSB that “we are not sheep to be herded into a pen that has been constructed by a corrupt Embassy”.
Once the KESWAD introduction was over, the audience was surprised with the news that musician Kidum was inna de house. He was then invited to address the guests after which he sang one song before Andambi bounced back on stage to inform the guests that they could leave at their own free will. The crowd then began to melt one by one. KSB crew packed equipment and headed to Alvik where Kidum was performing live.
Okoth Osewe
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How much money does Purity have for the Jamhuri event? A big chunk of it has been reserved for the special guests meeting on December 12th – the real day. Wakenya wakawaida were served wine wapende wasipende.
Andambi can only sing nyimbo za kanisa. At his age the National Anthem should be stuck in his head instead of singing from a paper. Hatatoboa huyo mzee wa madharau.
Wakenya Wata-harwa Mharo Kwani chakura cha Sausages za nguluew bila Wine beer ni sikukuu? Purity and Andambi Mlembe Mluhya Huwa-Enjoy cheap Kenyans in Stockholm.
Wakenya wa sent to Elite Hotel by Purity who is a member of the GEMA elite.
KSB commentators attacking Purity should think twice. She is a warm person who is thoughtful enough to have made Kenyans and their friends in Stockholm the first people in the whole world to celebrate this year’s Jamhuri Day. She invited all to join through the Embassy’s website so those who did not read the invitation should not complain. Purity is always welcoming and does her work professionally. If you want to complain get an appointment and face her instead of hiding at KSB to throwing negative missiles. I see no reason why some commentators have been complaining for years yet have never approached Purity in person with their accusations against her.
I was Fired &Kicked like a dog by the Kikuyu Ruling Elites>Says Jaramogi Ogingas Bodyguard>http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Jaramogi+aide+sacked+for+telling+the+truth/-/1056/1284300/-/xw92mn/-/index.html
@Mburu-Kanyingi – you sure have raw humor – that Purity is so thoughtful she made Kenyans be the first in the whole world to celebrate this year’s Jamu.
On the other hand Osewe has been fair to document all that he observed at the Jamhuri event.
Okoth Osewe, you are very narrow minded…can you sing the national anthem in full yourself? Dont be harsh on the embassy official1.
KSB: OK. Let’s turn this into a mchongoano because it looks like that is what you want. You are a spastic, silly mongrel, a worthless bag of filth at KSB, a spineless little worm. I feel embarrassed that I belong to the same species as you because even baboons look at you with disdain. You take stupidity to a whole new dimension and that is why you keep on failing blood tests. Your mouth drools with pus and that is why yr spouse left you. You are an idiot who steals free bread. You need to be traded for shit to be used as manure to breed fungus because you are a good for nothing imbecile.
The cook who was deported by ambassador Purity Muhindi last week landed in Kenya safely after being escorted with tight security. Dr. Muhindi, the husband to Purity Muhindi was in charge of the security operation and he made sure that the cook did not remain in Europe. Dr. Muhindi who escorted the Kenyan cook back to Kenya physically aboard KLM-Kenya airways made sure that the sick man did not seek asylum in Netherlands because by the time the cook was deported, his work permit was still valid for one year. With this kind of permit in his passport, this send wrong signals to Muhindi’s family because they thought the cook might overshadow their ill plan and continue working in one of the Schengen countries.
The sad part of the story is how the cook was forced to withdraw all his money from a Swedish account and carry it physically in his pocket. Basically the old man was carrying over 300,000ksh in his pocket. If the money got lost on the way, this could mean his life fortune was gone in a single minute. It is now clear that Dr. Muhindi’s job was to make sure that the old man was back to Kenya and the orders were very clear that he had to follow the cook everywhere he went while on the way to Kenya. The Kenyan ambassador to Sweden Mrs. Purity Muhindi, the engineer of the project followed the developments very closely by phone.
The Kenyan cook who was diagnosed with diabetes could have been granted asylum on claims that his life will be in danger if he is sent home because of his health background. The post election violence that rocked Kenya could have been in the centre of the application giving reasons like he will be killed if forced to return to Kenya. The country is not stable and safe for old men like the former cook to Purity Muhindi. Kenyans should be afforded the RIGHT of fair treatment and in the case between the cook and Hon. Purity Muhindi, he was treated unfair. We as Kenyans have all the rights to make noise and even go to court or stage a demo to let the world know these evils.
The embassy has some questions to answer to Wakenya. We want to know how much money the Kenya embassy spends on partying, travelling and how they award tenders. Currently, the tender to clean ambassador Purity Muhindi’s residence was awarded to a Tanzanian under a corruptible manner. After a Kenyan gardener was fired, they contracted a Swedish company for few months and after discovering they couldn’t do the “dirty” games with the Swedish company, they fired the company and awarded it to a Tanzanian. Kenyan companies like Orkarinte are very cheap but they were not given a chance to give their offer.
Another scam that is boiling within Wakenya in Stockholm is that of the contract to design the Kenyan embassy website. The contract was awarded to a friend to the Kenyan embassy under unknown circumstances. Ms. Linnet Vitisia, a Finance attaché at the Kenyan embassy awarded the contract to a website designer in a highly corruptible way and many Kenyans in this region reacted aggressively to the dishonesty nature of the contract. Mr. Olengais Saidimu who was offering a better quality website on a cheaper price was denied the chance and instead, Ms. Vitisia awarded it to her cronies. When she was asked how much the embassy spent on the website, she physically ran away from a Jamhuri day party that was organized by the Kenyan Embassy in Sweden last year at the Scandic hotel in Stockholm.
It is time the Kenyan Embassy in Sweden updates their website and recognizes Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki as the leaders of Kenya. They haven’t even recognized Kibaki as the new president of Kenya as per their website. The embassy staffs are paid a lot of money to run the embassy which includes the website and if they are tired, they must be fired.
Munala wa Munala.
March 13th 2008
@netia: most Kenyans can sing all the versus of the National Anthem off head, especially at Andambi’s age. It was compulsory to sing it at every school assembly in Kenya.
KSB: I can add that I learnt it at dagis.
I enjoy reading this blog keeps us updated on what fellow Kenyans are doing in Stockholm, keep it up you bring our brothers and sisters closer.