Deputy President William Ruto (R) with former Minister Burudi Nabwera at
a past function. On December 11, 1963 young Burudi Nabwera, a graduate
of the London School of Economics, boarded a plane for New York where he
was to serve as Kenya’s first ambassador to the United States and
permanent representative to the United Nations until 1970. PHOTO | FILE
On December 11, 1963 young Burudi
Nabwera, a graduate of the London School of Economics, boarded a plane
for New York where he was to serve as Kenya’s first ambassador to the
United States and permanent representative to the United Nations until
1970.
On December 13, 2013 exactly 50 years after he
first set foot on American soil, retired Ambassador Nabwera was invited
by the Kenyan Embassy to grace the Kenyan diaspora Jubilee celebrations
in Washington, DC.
Unlike on December 17, 1963 when Mr
Nabwera presented his credentials to US President Lyndon Johnson, this
time round the retired diplomat-cum-politician mingled freely with
Kenyans and friends of Kenya who had gathered at the Hilton Hotel,
barely five miles from the White House to celebrate 50 years of
independence.
Amidst rousing applause, the polished
man did not disappoint as he took his audience down the memory lane of
the evolution of Kenya’s foreign policy since 1963. At the end of his
speech, the former balozi sat down in the cocktail ballroom for an
impromptu one-on-one interview with Timothy Kaberia:
Ambassador,
you stated that President Kenyatta appointed just six envoys at
independence. How could six ambassadors represent Kenya all over the
world?
Nabwera: Mzee Kenyatta appointed six diplomats
from every corner of the country. I represented Kenya in America while
Dr Josephat Karanja was picked for London. From Eastern Province Mzee
picked Henry Muli who is still alive while from the Coast he selected
the late Njago. From the Kalenjin he chose Kosgei.
Is there any relation between this Ambassador Kosgei and Dr Sally Kosgei?
Nabwera:
No. Not Hon. Kosgei. There was a Kosgei from Kericho who was our
ambassador to Beijing and related Asian countries. Dr Karanja went to
London and the Vatican. Otuko Adala went to Moscow and communist Eastern
Europe. Muli was in Cairo while I took the Americas.
How many countries did you cover as Kenya’s ambassador?
Nabwera:
I represented the US, the UN, Canada and every country in the Americas.
If there was an agreement to be signed in the Caribbean I was
instructed to fly there and return to the United States. Mzee was very
careful. He knew he did not have enough manpower. If Kenyatta had
continued being President Kenya would by now have 20 to 25 ambassadors.
How has the role of an ambassador changed from the time when Mzee Kenyatta appointed you as Kenya’s first ambassador to the US?
Nabwera:
Circumstances have changed. There are many more ambassadors today. They
cannot be treated the same way President Kenyatta treated us. We used
to be recalled every year. The President would spend an entire day with
us in Mombasa and demand a report from each and every one of us. He
would ask each one of us to explain what they had done and whether or
not Kenya was getting enough support from those posts.
When
you arrived in New York in 1963, racial discrimination against black
people in America was rampant. Were you discriminated against? Were
there places you could not visit as an ambassador?
Nabwera:
No. Remember we arrived here at the height of the civil rights
movement. We were required to report to the governors of the respective
states first. We would always travel in a group of African ambassadors.
The Zambian, Tanzanian, Ugandan, Malawian ambassadors and I travelled
together whenever we visited southern states. We would register
ourselves and denounce racism in our speeches. The State Department was
our protection.
Back in 1963 US-Kenya relations were very strong. Today, Kenya leans East. What is your take?
Nabwera:
From the word go we never had a problem with maintaining relations with
both. Jomo Kenyatta balanced by sending ambassadors to both Washington
and Beijing. We must balance. The question right now is about
appearances. The government should not appear to be leaning more to one
side than to the other.
But Kenya is evidently leaning East. Any risk?
Nabwera: I think there will be diplomatic repercussions. I hope we will move back to the centre as it was during Mzee’s time.
Balozi, you also served as a cabinet minister. How was your transition from diplomacy to politics?
Nabwera:
As I said earlier, while serving as ambassador in the US we played
politics. At the UN we took different votes because we were non-aligned.
The US would oppose communist, China but we would support it because of
our nonalignment. We also supported US positions. This was high-level
politics. It prepared me for politics back home.
Is the perceived American-Chinese “rivalry” anything new?
Nabwera:
No. The Americans never recognised mainland China. They supported
Taiwan. Kenya recognised China long before the Americans did. Read my
hard hitting UN speeches. I challenged America’s refusal to recognise
the People’s Republic of China.
Currently, Kenya’s foreign policy revolves around one issue. How dangerous is that?
Nabwera:
Our foreign policy cannot be based on one issue.... We must consider
several factors just like the senior Kenyatta did.
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