Foreign minister tells off envoys over electoral body

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula has termed as “shameless blackmail” calls by diplomats for the resignation of Electoral Commission of Kenya officials.

In a hard hitting statement, Mr Wetang’ula said it was unacceptable for Western ambassadors to visit the ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu and demand for his immediate resignation or face a travel ban to their respective countries. He said the move was "an audacious and blatant breach of protocol."

“Such shameless blackmail, applied through open disregard of established norms of conduct of diplomats, in favour of a style and tone reminiscent of colonial is an insult to the Kenyan public.”

He said that the contents of the Kriegler report is a matter within the knowledge of the public, including envoys and would not welcome the interference of diplomats.

“I wish to state categorically that the Government will not tolerate what now seems to be a pattern of activism being practiced in Nairobi by a few ambassadors under the guise of conducting normal official diplomatic engagements.”

Mr Wetangu’la added that the Government has committed itself towards its implementation of the Kriegler report findings and would do so the Kenyan way.

“I urge these individuals to respect the proven ability of Kenyans to deal with this internal matter in accordance with ongoing national peace and reconciliation efforts and the law of the land.”

While acknowledging that it is within the right of governments to withhold or decline to issue visas to foreigners, he added that to do so as punishment was in bad state.

“To apply such a form of sanction as a punitive measure to illegally force a constitutional office holder out of  a public office smacks of patronising arrogance and raises questions about the true intentions of such actions.”