By Kenneth Kwama

Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula can sometimes be irritating. I especially abhor the way he invokes diplomacy every time he spews out personal gibberish passed as Government response to some pertinent issue(s).

Wetang’ula proved he could be clueless about his docket when he decided to take on the US Government over its cancellation of visa of a senior Government official.

The minister is right when he refers to the US move as meddlesome, but betrays ignorance when he asserts that Kenya will hit back mundu khu mundu (man to man).

Granted, as a country we deserve respect and freedom to do things our own way. But there is a caveat: What other options does the US have, given our history, which is peppered with mindless violence funded by politicians and inability to agree even on the most mundane of issues?

Wetang’ula should resign because he has failed to carry out the mandate of his office.

When the country was in the thick of post-poll chaos, Wetang’ula gave an interview to an international news channel and said violence was only being witnessed in isolated areas and was being contained by the Government.

When President John Kufuor of Ghana came over to help broker peace, he dismissed those efforts. He capped it all by saying Kufuor had just stopped for a courtesy call.

I don’t like people poking their noses into what I consider personal, but in this case, the US is doing what Kenyans really desire, but are unable to do — force our politicians to make baby steps to a good end.

If there was an award for political goof of the week, it reservedly belongs to Wetang’ula for thinking we can hit back at Uncle Sam. What can Kenya possibly do to hurt the US? Nothing!

This time, even Wetang’ula’s usual ally, Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, saw sense and admitted the Government had invited America’s wrath on itself.

The US finds it easy to sidestep diplomatic etiquette when dealing with our Government because of is its reliance on people like Wetang’ula to shape foreign policy.

The fact that US President Barack Obama never bothered to reply or acknowledge President Kibaki’s protest letter, which was sent to Washington after the US threatened to blacklist 15 senior Government officials over the stalled push for reform, is testimony to the contempt the Obama administration has for some of our leaders.

There is possibility Obama never saw Kibaki’s letter. It could have been flushed down the toilet in Washington by Johnnie Carson — Obama’s point man in the region whom Wetang’ula derogatorily refers to as an ‘Assistant Minister’.