Kenya kicks out Eritrea diplomat

• Foreign minister flies in as embassy official and trader expelled over ‘security’ fears

Kenya revealed on Friday that it had deported an Eritrean diplomat “for security reasons” hours before the country’s Foreign Minister made an abrupt visit to Nairobi seeking audience with President Kibaki.

The diplomat is the second Eritrean to be expelled from Kenya in as many months on grounds of “security” — which is diplomatic speak for involvement in activities that undermine the host country. He was described as a businessman.

Security grounds

The Foreign Affairs adviser of public affairs, Prof Egara Kabaji, said the head of Horn of Africa division who could give more information, was out of office on transfer to Uganda. He, however, referred further queries to Immigration department or the government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua.

The Immigration public communications officer, Mr E Njeru, said “there are two cases involving Eritreans who were deported on security related grounds. The diplomat’s case happened earlier.”

He identified one of the deportees as Mr Hannibal Menghstie but we could not verify immediately whether he was the diplomat.

Contacted by the Saturday Nation, the Eritrean Ambassador, a Mr Sareh, said: “We have seen Mr Wetang’ula and all questions should be answered from the Kenyan Foreign Affairs office.”

The expulsions and Thursday’s blistering attack by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Horn of Africa nation for its involvement in the Somalia crisis is building up into the new front in the regional fight against terrorism.

Eritrea is allegedly bolstering insurgents al-Shabaab’s firepower and inflicting a heavy price on the AU forces.

On July 11, the Ugandan contingent in Mogadishu lost three soldiers during intensive fighting, when the insurgents shelled the presidential palace with mortars.

Sources in Mogadishu also said 15 Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) troops had been critically wounded in the fighting although the Ugandan army spokesman, Maj Felix Kulayigye, last week acknowledged only one was wounded.

A day after Mrs Clinton warned of unspecified action against the country, Eritrea dispatched Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed to Nairobi who immediately went into a meeting with Kenyan counterpart, Mr Moses Wetang’ula.

Mr Mohammed’s visit came only a day after Mrs Clinton had criticised Eritrea’s perceived support of the al-Shabaab movement, which is trying to topple Somalia’s fragile transitional government.

A Foreign Affairs official speaking in confidence said the minister sought to get an appointment with the Head of State through Mr Wetang’ula.

Mr Mohammed discussed the special message he had from his President Isaias Afeworki with Mr Wetang’ula and arrangements to let him meet President Kibaki started.

However, he was unable to meet the Head of State due to a day-long Cabinet meeting.

Sources told the Saturday Nation that he could remain in Nairobi until Monday as formal meetings are scheduled for next week.

The abrupt visit is widely linked to both the expulsions and Mrs Clinton’s attack after a meeting in Nairobi with the Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.