Kenya Battles Claims of Soliciting Uhuru Congratulatory Messages
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21 2017
Kenya Daily Nation
President Uhuru Kenyatta acknowledges greetings from Kenyans during Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2017. Kenya was on Tuesday caught in a diplomatic storm following claims that it was soliciting congratulatory messages from foreign countries after his re-election. PHOTO | RAPHAEL NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
Financial Times reported that Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohammed had asked UK counterpart Boris Johnson to recognise Mr Kenyatta's re-election.
Mr Johnson obliged, sparking criticism in London that he had moved too fast to recognise Mr Kenyatta.
The government has been openly tweeting and broadcasting any congratulatory messages that come in.
By PATRICK LANG'AT
Kenya was on Tuesday caught in a diplomatic storm following claims that it was soliciting congratulatory messages from foreign countries after the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The respected London-based Financial Times reported that Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed had asked her UK counterpart Boris Johnson to recognise the re-election of Mr Kenyatta following the Supreme Court dismissal of the petitions he had faced.
Mr Johnson obliged, sparking criticism in London that he had moved too fast to recognise Mr Kenyatta.
The paper said most Western powers were waiting for the President to be sworn in next Tuesday before they send their congratulatory messages.
The Times, in a report on Tuesday afternoon also quoted an e-mail allegedly sent by Kenyan ambassador to Brussels Johnson Weru that suggested he was pushing other nations to congratulate President Kenyatta after securing a second term following a disputed repeat election after his August 8 win was annulled by the Supreme Court in a petition filed by his main challenger Raila Odinga.
“Following the Supreme Court of Kenya ruling early today and which has upheld the victory of President Kenyatta, I am kindly requesting your indulgence in preparing and dispatching a suitable congratulations message. I am at hand for any quick consultations,” the Times quoted Ambassador Weru as saying in the e-mail sent to senior foreign ministry officials.
UNSOLICITED
But Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma said that the congratulatory messages were coming in on their own, unsolicited.
In fact, she said, the messages were expected following what she said was an affirmation of the rule of the law through the protracted elections dispute the country went through, with twice having the courts being asked to determine whether President Kenyatta’s election was free and fair.
“From where we sit, the Supreme Court win is a re-affirmation of President Kenyatta’s August 8 win. Generally, everybody is commending the country for following the course of the rule of law. That is the general reaction. Actually, many of them (countries) are saying: Let’s move on,” said Ms Juma, who spoke to the Nation by phone.
NO EMAILS
On the report by the Times, she said, “Officially, we do not communicate through e-mail, that is not the format in diplomacy. If the Financial Times is interested in any information, our High Commission in London is open for them.”
Talk of diplomats and foreign governments holding off on congratulating Kenya has been rife, with the government now openly tweeting and broadcasting any congratulatory messages that come in.
“Some of you have asked about how many countries have congratulated the President on his re-election. As of yesterday (Monday), we can confirm that more than 40 countries had done so. The Foreign Ministry will release details in due course. Essentially, these congratulatory messages are normally channelled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu told journalists during a press briefing at noon on Tuesday.
POWERHOUSES
By 6.30pm, the government, through its official Twitter handles, had added global powerhouses China and Israel, as well as Burundi, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Palestine and Ethiopia, with African, Caribbean and Pacific group that bring together 79 states also said to have sent its messages.
Mr Odinga, in his 10-day visit to the United States that ended on Monday, had stirred up the congratulatory messages discussion, saying western nations that support democracy should not congratulate President Kenyatta.
“Kenyans were very pleased that the US and other friends refused to congratulate Mr Kenyatta after the electoral commission announced that he had been elected President after an election more woefully tainted than the annulled August one,” Mr Odinga said in Washington during a lecture in his recent 10-day trip.
Kenya Daily Nation
President Uhuru Kenyatta acknowledges greetings from Kenyans during Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2017. Kenya was on Tuesday caught in a diplomatic storm following claims that it was soliciting congratulatory messages from foreign countries after his re-election. PHOTO | RAPHAEL NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
Financial Times reported that Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohammed had asked UK counterpart Boris Johnson to recognise Mr Kenyatta's re-election.
Mr Johnson obliged, sparking criticism in London that he had moved too fast to recognise Mr Kenyatta.
The government has been openly tweeting and broadcasting any congratulatory messages that come in.
By PATRICK LANG'AT
Kenya was on Tuesday caught in a diplomatic storm following claims that it was soliciting congratulatory messages from foreign countries after the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The respected London-based Financial Times reported that Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed had asked her UK counterpart Boris Johnson to recognise the re-election of Mr Kenyatta following the Supreme Court dismissal of the petitions he had faced.
Mr Johnson obliged, sparking criticism in London that he had moved too fast to recognise Mr Kenyatta.
The paper said most Western powers were waiting for the President to be sworn in next Tuesday before they send their congratulatory messages.
The Times, in a report on Tuesday afternoon also quoted an e-mail allegedly sent by Kenyan ambassador to Brussels Johnson Weru that suggested he was pushing other nations to congratulate President Kenyatta after securing a second term following a disputed repeat election after his August 8 win was annulled by the Supreme Court in a petition filed by his main challenger Raila Odinga.
“Following the Supreme Court of Kenya ruling early today and which has upheld the victory of President Kenyatta, I am kindly requesting your indulgence in preparing and dispatching a suitable congratulations message. I am at hand for any quick consultations,” the Times quoted Ambassador Weru as saying in the e-mail sent to senior foreign ministry officials.
UNSOLICITED
But Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma said that the congratulatory messages were coming in on their own, unsolicited.
In fact, she said, the messages were expected following what she said was an affirmation of the rule of the law through the protracted elections dispute the country went through, with twice having the courts being asked to determine whether President Kenyatta’s election was free and fair.
“From where we sit, the Supreme Court win is a re-affirmation of President Kenyatta’s August 8 win. Generally, everybody is commending the country for following the course of the rule of law. That is the general reaction. Actually, many of them (countries) are saying: Let’s move on,” said Ms Juma, who spoke to the Nation by phone.
NO EMAILS
On the report by the Times, she said, “Officially, we do not communicate through e-mail, that is not the format in diplomacy. If the Financial Times is interested in any information, our High Commission in London is open for them.”
Talk of diplomats and foreign governments holding off on congratulating Kenya has been rife, with the government now openly tweeting and broadcasting any congratulatory messages that come in.
“Some of you have asked about how many countries have congratulated the President on his re-election. As of yesterday (Monday), we can confirm that more than 40 countries had done so. The Foreign Ministry will release details in due course. Essentially, these congratulatory messages are normally channelled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu told journalists during a press briefing at noon on Tuesday.
POWERHOUSES
By 6.30pm, the government, through its official Twitter handles, had added global powerhouses China and Israel, as well as Burundi, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Palestine and Ethiopia, with African, Caribbean and Pacific group that bring together 79 states also said to have sent its messages.
Mr Odinga, in his 10-day visit to the United States that ended on Monday, had stirred up the congratulatory messages discussion, saying western nations that support democracy should not congratulate President Kenyatta.
“Kenyans were very pleased that the US and other friends refused to congratulate Mr Kenyatta after the electoral commission announced that he had been elected President after an election more woefully tainted than the annulled August one,” Mr Odinga said in Washington during a lecture in his recent 10-day trip.
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