By David Odongo
The Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has ordered police to arrest and charge Shelter Afrique managing director Alassane Ba with assault.
Tobiko’s order comes days after Prime Minister; Raila Odinga voiced strong concern against Mr Ba challenging police to take action against the diplomat.
Raila wanted the diplomatic immunity lifted so that Ba could be arrested for assaulting the Finance Director Karen Njeri Kandie on Thursday June 28 at around 11:30 am at the Shelter Afrique headquarters along Longonot Road, Upper Hill.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 protects Ba. It is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries and specifies the privileges of a diplomatic mission that enable diplomats to perform their function without fear of coercion or harassment by the host country.
Ms Kandie said Mr Ba attacked her on June 28 at 11.30am, and then sent her on compulsory leave for reporting the matter to the police.
The last time Mr Ba worked in his native Mauritania was in 1991 as an economist for the World Bank.
In this story we profile some of the rows which have dogged some diplomats.
Another case that sparked anger from civil societies involved the Nigerian High Commissioner. In May 2011, Nigerian High Commissioner Dr Chijioke Wilcox Wigwe allegedly battered his wife Tessi Iyi Wigwe but couldn’t be arrested since he was protected by diplomatic immunity.
Kenya Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) demanded that the diplomatic immunity be lifted so that he can face the law, but the envoy was quietly withdrawn from his post by his government.
The couple’s marriage had allegedly degenerated to a level where they were only communicating via written notes. In an interview the wife revealed that on the particular day, the envoy had passed her a note asking if his dinner was ready.
She in turn, didn’t write a note back but lashed out. “I asked him why he was asking for dinner yet even when it has been prepared for him, he doesn’t eat it. That’s when he started beating me,” the wife was quoted. They had been married for twenty years and had five children.
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