Are you warm and patriotic?

There is a touch of diplomacy in the way Sio Mwakai speaks. It is traceable in his choice of words and warm demeanour.

He is also courteous, and he seems to enjoy making his visitors comfortable before getting into the business of the visit. It is not by chance.

Mr Sio first worked in the hospitality industry before being sent to Spain as Kenya’s Ambassador to the country. The correct way to address him, therefore, is Ambassador Sio.

As Kenya’s first ambassador to Spain in 2007, he was tasked with building a good reputation for the country (Kenya) as it opened an entirely new mission.

In a broad way, the work of a diplomat is to represent and protect the interests of the mother state, and to promote friendly relations with the host country, he begins to explain.

In their course of work, ambassadors also collect and relay information that could affect national interests, often with advice about how the home country government should respond.

And once a policy has been designed by the home country government, ambassadors and their teams bear major responsibility for implementing it in the host country.

“Diplomats have the job of conveying, in the most persuasive way possible, the views of the home government to the governments to which they are accredited, and in doing so, they try to convince those governments to act in ways that suit the interests of the home country. This way, diplomats are part of the beginning and the end of each loop in the continuous process through which foreign policy is made,” says Amb Sio.

Seemingly passionate about the work, he goes on to advise on the attributes and competencies necessary for the job.

“You need to conduct yourself in a manner that puts the interest of your country first. Patriotism is mandatory. There is also the education aspect and the knowledge of different nationals and their cultures.” A course in international relations is also useful.

With these and a good performance record “at any government post thrown your way” as Amb Sio puts it, one could then earn a posting.

“Before I was appointed a diplomat, I had been the principal of the Kenya Utalii College,” he says, for example. Prior to being the head of Utalii College, he had served in different government arms and assignments.

Sio had been assigned the duty of chief advisor at the negotiations of a convention for hotels and tourism at the International Labour Organisation, Geneva.

He had also worked as the commissioner for the review of the education system of Kenya, and served as a member of numerous statutory boards and committees, such as the Hotels and Restaurants Authority of Kenya.

These are just examples. “You need to prove that service comes first – that you will be able to stand for your people in the capacity bestowed upon you and not be intimidated by outside sources. For those eyeing this job, they should know that it is very demanding and you have to be answerable at all times,” adds Sio.

He advises those seeking this profession to love adventure, be ready for challenges, and learn how to interact and influence people.

“You should also not act as though you know it all. Be quick to listen and slow to answer, listening helps a lot. It educates you more than you can imagine.”

To work as an ambassador, he says, exposes one to experiences in different parts of the world, and that broadens one’s view of the world and life.