Kenya Socialist Web Site

 

KENYA DEMOCRACY PROJECT (KPD)

 

19th October 2003

 

KDP STATEMENT ON THE LATEST SITUATION AT THE KENYAN EMBASSY IN STOCKHOLM OVER THE KINYANJUI CRISIS

 

As the Office of the President continues to reconsider the deployment of Mr. Micael Mukiri Kinyanjui as the new Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia, a sense of panic has suddenly gripped staff at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm. KDP has decided to release this statement because the organization understands the predicament of staff at the Kenyan embassy in Stockholm.

 

According to reports received by KDP, the problem is that Embassy staff who have been associating freely with the anti-Kinyanjui lobbyists fear that in case the new Ambassador assumes Office, they may be victimized on suspicion that they have been abbetting the campaign to prevent Kinyanjui from assuming Office in Stockholm.

 

The situation is so tense that Embassy staff boycotted a meeting of Kenyans in Stockholm on Saturday October 18th  that had been called to discuss a KDP letter sent to The Office of the President and which was also circulated Internationally by KDP. The letter called for Kinyanjui’s appointment to be rescinded on grounds that he has been Moi’s Ambassador designate to Scandinavia for more than a year.

 

The tension and sense of intimidation at the Embassy has further been fuelled by a split between Embassy staff with one wing seen to be sympathetic to the anti-Kinyanjui forces and another camp associated with KANU seen to be supportive of the Kinyanjui appointment.

 

The immediate consequence is that certain Embassy staff who feel intimidated have suddenly withdrawn from the Kenyan community as they struggle to assume a neutral position over the Kinyanjui crisis. They have abandoned their social lives and sealed their lips after adopting a “wait and see” posture. They are fearing for their jobs.

 

In view of the uncertain situation hovering over the Embassy, and given the urgency to maintain the smooth running of the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm, the Kenya Democracy Project is calling on the Narc government to resolve the Kinyanjui issue as quickly as possible so that an atmosphere of tranquility and comfort can return to the Embassy.

 

As far as KDP is concerned, there is no Embassy staff who has been involved in any way in the anti-Kinyanjui campaign and the current attempt by a section of Embassy staff to implicate their colleagues in the struggle against Kinyanjui openly demonstrates the destabilization potential of Mr. Kinyanjui’s presence at the Embassy as the new Ambassador.

 

KDP appeals to Kenya Embassy staff in Stockholm to remain united and to maintain independent positions as the fate of Kinyanjui remains under review by the Office of the President. In the meantime, KDP also appeals to Embassy staff not to loose their freedom of expression and association because of the uncertainty that has suddenly engulfed the Embassy over the Kinyanjui issue.

 

Further, KDP encourages President Mwai Kibaki not to ignore calls for the deployment of a pro-Narc Ambassador at the Embassy as this remains the only way of ensuring future stability and progress at this very important Embassy in Europe. We are in solidarity with Kenya Embassy staff who appear to be under siege at the moment as a result of the KDP led anti-Kinyanjui campaign in Stockholm.

 

Okoth Osewe

Co-ordinator

Kenya Democracy Project (KDP)

Scandinavia    

Tel: 46736533068

harakatips@hotmail.com

 

Published by Kenya Socialist Democratic Alliance (KSDA)
email: harakatips@hotmail.com

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