How Kenya and China tore diplomatic ties apart

By JAMES MWANGI

Kenya and China are today tight allies, an affair that is rubbing the West the wrong way. However, 46 years ago, the two countries were rocked in a nasty diplomatic row that saw each repatriate the other’s envoys. 

Apparently ideological feuds between the capitalist United States (US) and communist China triggered the diplomatic fissures that prompted the nascent Kenya government to make the unpredicted move that enraged China and the opposition Kenya People’s Party (KPU).

China and Kenya had differed over ideological issues and Kenya’s apparent support of the US during the Cold War.

Then, the Economic, Planning and Development Minister Thomas Mboya made a speech in Parliament in May 1967 that downplayed the alleged shady activities of the CIA in Kenya.

Mboya stated, “….it is true now that the CIA has come out as having quite a network, not only in Africa, but around the world, but as the Vice-President (Daniel arap Moi) has stated, various countries have their own secret agencies and various countries have developed their own rings of conspiracy throughout the world”. Hell broke loose.

The opposition leader Jaramogi Oginga Odinga responded to Mboya thus, “…when these other countries come to scheme in our country we must be watchful and deal with each and everybody according to what they have done….in this CIA document we are told so-and-so is doing something and therefore I should condemn even Russia because I want to be neutral…I will blame them according to their scheming.”

China however retorted irritably turning their wrath on Mboya who they accused of helping “American imperialism” out of its difficulties and sowing discord between the people of China and Kenya. His speech, they claimed, was a diversionary tactic to draw the attention of Kenyans from anti-US struggle.

The KPU supported China’s allegations with its publicity secretary Achieng Oneko criticising Mboya for dragging other nations into a debate dealing solely with the activities of the CIA in Kenya.

Odinga issued a statement expressing concerns of CIA activities and stated, “Many people from US were in Kenya, American advisers were in key ministries and in fact that this is unfolding throws all these people under suspicion.”

However, reaffirming Kenya’s policy of neutrality Mboya reiterated President Jomo Kenyatta’s Madaraka day speech in which the president had warned foreign diplomats to keep off Kenya’s domestic issues.

“….president warned members of the diplomatic community to refrain from interfering in our internal affairs. The Chinese cannot have heard these words. The statement issued is a blatant disregard of the warning,” Mboya responded.

Mboya accused China of dishonouring the non-alignment policy of Kanu’s manifesto of 1963 and termed their attack on him as full of invectives and cheap propaganda that did not do them justice.

Leave the country

“Our position has consistently been one of non-alignment in the cold war between the East and the West. The Chinese embassy surely knows what that means,” he stated.

The two nations were embroiled in blistering accusations and counter-accusations that compelled Kenya to strike first by sending back home the Chinese diplomat to Kenya Li Chieh on June 29. China retaliated two days later by declaring Kenya’s envoy to China, SM Maitha “persona non grata” and gave him 48 hours to leave the country.

This set in what was distinctly a diplomatic rupture as the Odinga-led KPU took sides with China in rapping Mboya for allegedly colliding the two countries to protect interests of another country (US). The US was allegedly hatching illicit dealings in the country. The Kenyatta government, however, seemed to have a soft spot for the capitalist West. 

Way back, a year after independence ideological differences had begun to manifest in Kenya as radicals and conservatives in Kanu locked horns on varied issues. In late 1964, Pio Gama Pinto helped raise funds from the Soviet Union for the establishment of Lumumba Institute with an aim of countering Mboya’s American bankrolled Kenya Federation of Labour set up a few months earlier.

Lumumba Institute incensed Kenyatta and his close conservatives after it became evident the institute that was furtively taught by Russian tutors was promoting communism in the country. The other Kanu radicals running the establishment included Odinga, Oneko, Bildad Kaggia, Joseph Murumbi and others.

China’s reaction termed the 1967 expulsion as an extremely grave step. A statement to media houses on July 1 read in part, “The Chinese people are extremely indignant at this and the Chinese government hereby lodges the strongest protest with the Kenya government. It added: “Certain Kenya ministers have time and again openly opposed China by viciously attacking the domestic and foreign policies.”

They rapped Mboya thus: “….Mr Tom Mboya has viciously slandered China in Kenya Assembly by putting the peoples Republic of China — which has always firmly opposed imperialism — on par with US imperialist”.

Mboya retorted: “It is well known that China would like us to join them in a cold war crusade against Western or America imperialism. Simply there are those in the West who would like us to join them in a crusade against international communism.”

The row was eventually resolved, and things eased up after the Cold War.