Kenya protests as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s aide denied visa

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho (right), flanked  by Head of Executive Office Ruth Solitek (centre) and Director in charge of Europe Matters Lazarus Amayo, addresses the Press at Harambee House, Tuesday.   [Photo: Beverlyne Musili/Standard]

By Felix Olick

Nairobi, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta’s two-day visit to Brussels has been characterised by diplomatic intrigues that initially led to its cancellation, before it was reversed at the last minute.

In a hard-hitting statement Tuesday, the Government heavily criticised Belgium’s decision to deny Uhuru’s Head of Presidential Security, Edward Mbugua, a European Union travel visa.

“The trip had earlier been cancelled by State House due to the unexplained refusal by Belgium to issue an EU travel visa to the Head of Presidential Security,” said Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.

The PS declined to take questions from journalists as he revealed that Belgium’s Ambassador to Kenya, Bart Ouvry, has been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive a protest note.

“Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Kenya, His Excellency Ambassador Bart Ouvry, has been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to receive a formal protest note,” he said.

According to Kibicho, the said Head of Security only received his visa after intervention by Kenyan officials and their Belgium counterparts but strongly criticised the EU action.

Sources told The Standard after Brussels declined to issue the visa to his aide, President Kenyatta cancelled the visit and signalled the recall of Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed who was already in the European capital.

It is understood that Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda leaders also indicated they would not attend in protest.

The threat of the snub by the African leaders apparently piled pressure, forcing Brussels to rescind the sanction.

Extend invitations

Speaking to journalists at Harambee House in Nairobi Tuesday, the visibly angry PS disapproved of the way the summit was being organised, saying the EU had declined to extend invitations to some African Heads of States.

He, however, did not specify who the Heads of States were.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, whose relations with the West have hit a brick wall will boycott the summit in Brussels after his wife, Grace, was denied a visa to enter Europe.

Harare had earlier urged the African Union to shun the summit for failing to invite all the Africa bloc’s leaders and lift a ban on Zimbabwe’s first lady.

The EU had refused to invite Sudan, but instead gave the nod to Egypt, which has been suspended by the African Union.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide related to the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The summit brings together representatives of 90 nations from both continents, including about 65 Heads of State and Government.

According to Kibicho, the refusal of a visa to a vital member of the Kenyan delegation sent the wrong signals that the EU is in a position to dictate even the security arrangements of the African Heads of States.

“These actions, in their totality, make for unfortunate precedents in the proper running of international relations,” Kibicho declared.

Avoid negativity

He maintained that if the EU-African Summit is intended to advance mutual interest, it must be rooted in the recognition that Africa and the EU member states are meeting as partners and equals.

He revealed that the Kenyan delegation intends to hold brief deliberations with the African Union Commission chairperson and other members of the African delegation on how future summits “can avoid the kind of negativity that marked this trip to Brussels”.

President Kenyatta, who is also the chairperson of the East African Community, was scheduled to fly out of the country Tuesday evening for the summit scheduled for today and tomorrow.

He will be away on a foreign trip for the next two weeks and his Deputy William Ruto will take charge. He will visit Belgium, Rwanda, Turkey and Britain, in that order.