Kenya in the dark over US travel ban

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula said the Kenya Government was not consulted before the decision on the ban was made. Photo/FILE

The Kenya Government is yet to receive an explanation from the United States over the travel ban slapped on a Cabinet minister.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula said the government was not consulted before the decision was made and only read of the travel ban in the media after it had been announced by its envoy, Mr Michael Ranneberger.

Mr Wetang’ula spoke as it emerged that the US embassy in Nairobi had notified the affected minister of the visa ban that also relates to travels by his spouse and children.

Bilateral relations

“They have the right to allow or disallow anybody from entering their country. We however require a brief because bilateral relations go beyond the personality of the minister,” he said in his office. He said the government was in the dark over the minister in question is and could not therefore engage in speculations.

On Tuesday, Mr Ranneberger announced the ban on the minister but refused to disclose the identity of the official, citing US privacy laws.

However he hinted that the affected minister had been involved in corruption for a long time and was also a suspect in the violence that hit the country after the 2007 elections.

The envoy said the decision was meant to jolt the government to take action against rising cases of corruption and apparent inaction against key people suspected to be the architects of the post election violence in which more than 1,333 were killed. “It (government) has got to start taking action against impunity because we are concerned about it,” he said.

On Wednesday, Cabinet ministers Martha Karua and Mutula Kilonzo welcomed the travel ban and urged the US government to take more drastic steps that will assist end corruption.

Ms Karua, the Justice minister, said similar steps should be taken against those who have stashed money in the US. “Every country reserves the right as to who they can or cannot admit. However, I wish it was done on broader basis so that those who have stashed money in US banks do not get a chance to go and enjoy it,” said Ms Karua.

Mr Kilonzo, the Nairobi Metropolitan Development minister, urged the US to convince her allies in the West to take similar steps against official corruption.

The EU delegation in Nairobi declined to comment on the matter. Czech Republic ambassador Margarita Fuchsova, the holder of the EU presidency, said: “All EU member states must have a common concern over the matter. Maybe we shall meet to discuss it in our next meeting but as for now I cannot comment.”

German ambassador Walter Lindner described the travel ban as purely an “American issue” but stated that Berlin supported the need to tackle corruption and bring to an end impunity.

Reports by Bernard Namunane, Kenneth Ogosia and Henry Owuor