Egara Kabaji

Who steered our early diplomacy making it possible for Kenya to successfully bid to host United Nations Environmental Programme in Nairobi? How did Kenya navigate through the rough terrain of the Cold War era? What has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs been doing to create and secure our external political and economic space since independence?

These and others are the questions that a symposium on Kenya’s early diplomacy seeks to answer at a symposium running in Nairobi, yesterday and ends today, at Kenya Institute of Administration.

It has been organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with Ford Foundation.

The symposium has been necessitated by the fact that Kenya needs to document its diplomatic history. One of the greatest weaknesses of our system is that we have not been aggressive in documenting our history. Knowledge of our diplomatic history would enable us make necessary adjustments to our diplomacy.

While many of our diplomats have contributed immensely in shaping our foreign relations, little is known about their successes and failures.

In the same vein, most Kenyans are not quite sure of the mission of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and what our diplomats do for a living. It is a pity historians have not taken keen interest in our diplomatic history.

Humble beginnings

Like many other forgotten heroes and heroines, many Foreign Service Officers, who worked so had to secure Kenya’s interests are wasting away unrecognised. Some of them are old, but have stories and experiences that would teach and inspire us.

The humble beginnings of the 1960s and ’70s saw Kenya emerge as a key player in African politics. She chaired the ad hoc committee on the Congo in 1956-60, the OAU Angola reconciliation efforts, apart from playing a key role in liberation struggles of countries that had not yet won their independence.

The ’80s witnessed new realities involving conflicts between African countries, which saw Kenya engage actively in the peace processes.

More importantly, Kenya has been active in the conception of regional economic and trade agreements and blocs including, Comesa, Igad and revival of the East African Community.

Documenting and conserving this knowledge for posterity is crucial. A people with no knowledge of where they are coming from can, at best remain, perpetually ignorant of their potential.

This void gives birth to self-doubt and the attendant feeling of inadequacy. This generation owes the future generations a written history of our diplomacy.

The symposium is the first of its kind and marks a beginning in recording and documenting the experiences of our former ministers of foreign affairs, ambassadors, retired senior diplomats and other public servants.

Key role

Among those slated to speak include Dr Munyua Waiyaki, who is undoubtedly Kenya’s ‘Henry Kissinger’, Ambassador B E Kipkorir and Amb Bethwel Kiplagat.

Media personalities, who have played a key role in the writing about Kenya’s history, will present papers including, Phillip Ochieng, the veteran journalist and Hillary Ng’weno as well as several scholars.

The writer is the Director of Public Affairs and Communication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.