Uhuru’s diplomatic snub puts trade interests at risk

President Uhuru Kenyatta signs into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2013 at State House, Nairobi. Looking on is the Deputy President William Ruto, Devolution Secretary Anne Waiguru, Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia, Speaker of the Senate Ekwe Ethuro (seated left), Clerk to the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye and Attorney-General Prof Githu Muigai (seated right). Photo/PSCU 

By George Omondi and David Herbling

In Summary

• At least six countries, including Zambia, Japan, Italy, France, Germany and Austria have been left in a diplomatic limbo in Kenya after the Foreign Affairs ministry suspended the accreditation of their envoys indefinitely, citing Mr Kenyatta’s busy diary.
• Analysts warned that delay in accrediting foreign envoys could send wrong signals to foreign capitals that Kenya is not open for business — a position that could cost the country billions of shillings in missed trade and investment opportunities.
• Envoys are crucial in the negotiation of trade treaties, bilateral financing deals and other areas of mutual interest and are the ones who sign bilateral assistance agreements.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s failure to officially receive newly appointed foreign envoys is causing anxiety in diplomatic circles, putting at risk billions of shillings in trade and investment from some of Kenya’s most valuable partners.

At least six countries, including Zambia, Japan, Italy, France, Germany and Austria have been left in a diplomatic limbo in Kenya after the Foreign Affairs ministry suspended the accreditation of their envoys indefinitely, citing Mr Kenyatta’s busy diary.

The ministry has since advised new envoys posted to Kenya to delay their arrival until they are told of the President’s availability.

Though Mr Kenyatta’s men have stuck to the busy diary narrative, the delay in accrediting the envoys is being seen as communicating a message to the affected countries.

“Whereas there is nothing common among the countries in the list, delay in accreditation has traditionally been used as soft language of rejection or a way of expressing that the matter is not a priority,” said Macharia Munene, a professor of History and International Relations at the United States International University-Africa in Nairobi.

Top Foreign Affairs ministry officials did not respond to queries on the matter but analysts warned that delay in accrediting foreign envoys could send wrong signals to foreign capitals that Kenya is not open for business — a position that could cost the country billions of shillings in missed trade and investment opportunities.

“We cannot accept a situation where ambassadors are kept waiting without explanation. We have summoned the Cabinet secretary to appear before us next week and explain what is happening,” said Bare Shill, the vice-chair of the National Assembly’s departmental committee on Defence and Foreign Relations.

“The President must create time to receive credentials from ambassadors.”

Envoys are crucial in the negotiation of trade treaties, bilateral financing deals and other areas of mutual interest and are the ones who sign bilateral assistance agreements.

Ochieng Adala, a retired career diplomat, said accreditation makes one an ‘ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire’ meaning she or he is the head of mission with full powers to engage the State on all matters.

“Without accreditation, an ambassador cannot meet the President in a formal capacity, cannot host his country’s national ceremonies such as Independence Day and is not empowered to sign and negotiate any bilateral assistance deals,” said Mr Adala in an interview.

The list of diplomats who are awaiting accreditation to assume office includes Tatsushi Terada of Japan and Rémi Maréchaux of France.

The gravity of the diplomatic impasse is underlined by the fact that three of the countries — Japan, France and Germany — are some of Kenya’s leading creditors, accounting for almost a fifth or 18.5 per cent of total external sources of financing.

Kenya’s overall public debt has more than doubled in the past five years to Sh1.8 trillion by June this year, 44 per cent of which is external debt.

Japan is ranked Nairobi’s top source of funding in the bilateral category, having loaned East Africa’s largest economy a total of Sh85.5 billion ($1.009 billion) by June this year.