Laiwola, the wealthy, 47-year-old Oxford University trained Naija barrister came to Kenya, saw and conquered.
“I said yes! I did. I said it, yes! I cried. For the first time ever, I cried tears of joy,” says Ambassador Yvonne Khamati, 35, and a mother of one.
And now Laiwola’s army of secret admirers must lick their wounds, for the doe-eyed ambassador will be pounding yam in northern Nigeria happily as soon as a traditional wedding ceremony is held in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected to walk the bride down the aisle in a ceremony that will be followed by a white wedding in Kenya.
This will be the second marriage for the feisty politician turned diplomat.
“I want a small African wedding with a fusion of Kenyan and Nigerian themes. Expect to see top African designers,” she reveals.
Although he is a staunch Muslim, Yvonne, says that it is not a must for her to convert and that they have talked about him marrying other women in future.
“He is not interested in marrying other women,” she says.
Laiwola has worked with former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President Barack Obama on Power Energy Africa.
The yearlong affair has been discussed on many social media forums as the eligible bachelor, a wealthy Muslim from a super-rich family in northern Nigeria, was seen as a character from a fairy-tale.
In an exclusive interview with The Nairobian, Yvonne, who is Kenya’s deputy ambassador to Somalia, says, “I met him at a point in my life when I had no personal life; only work. I had given up (on relationships) and was looking at the possibility of being alone in future.”
The couple met at a Lebanese restaurant in Nairobi.
“I was on a dinner date with my friends when another friend called me to join them,” explains Yvonne. “I agreed to pass by her table when done with my dinner and she then introduced me to him.”
At first, the couple talked about politics in Africa, oil and gas... just random things until, Laiwola requested for a photo.
“I agreed but I was so tired, I had just landed from New York so I excused myself and gave him my number. When I got home, he sent me a message inviting me for brunch the next day,” adds Yvonne.
Laiwola even told his pals he had met someone special. In the words of Maria Puzo, it was a “thunderbolt”.
“He asked me if we could start courtship. By that I mean no sexual engagement before marriage. I said yes! It is hard but we still find creative ways to spend time and knowing each other,” said Yvonne.
The couple went for four-day vacation in Diani but slept in separate rooms, she says.
“He makes me stronger. You can’t bully him or break him. He is not bothered that I am in leadership and he is okay standing next to me. He is a nerd, a bookworm, loves research and is also painfully honest,” gushes Yvonne.
It wasn’t long before he proposed.
“We went for dinner at a friend’s house. We were five and as usual, it was fun. At some point, I excused myself to go to the bathroom. When I sauntered back, I found everyone unexpectedly quiet. Then out of the blues, he stood up and told me we needed to talk. I tried to convince him that we go outside, but he was adamant that we should talk in front of everyone. He then went down on one knee and unleashed a huge ring. I started screaming, I cried and forgot to say yes. He reminded me that I had not given him an answer and I said yes. It was so emotional but lovely,” she recalls.
Last Christmas and New Year’s Day, the couple toured London. “He introduced me to his family and friends,” she says.
On Valentine’s Day, the couple visited Abuja.
“He sneaked into my room at 4am and left expensive Tiffany bags. When I woke up, I thought I was dreaming since there was no one in the room. I decided to look inside the bags and found an exquisite jewellery set. It was so lovely and romantic,” said Yvonne.
