Kenyan Government Diplomatic Flaws

By Oundo Molvin Laventa

Did you know that there are 195 countries in the world yet Kenya has only 68 diplomatic missions. Kenya maintains 49 embassies and 27 consulates. Well, now you know.

This only covers a minor 34% of nations in the world.

Nairobi is a home to 82 embassies and 42 consulates a total of 124 representations, which is more than Kenya's own representation.

Kenyan representation plays a rather key role for Kenyans travelling abroad and in cases where one is in a foreign country and cannot reach out to Kenyan diplomacy is heartbreaking.

In the most recent case of Margaret Nduta, a Kenyan found guilty by the independent state of Vietnam the lack of Kenyan representation is likely to prove fatal. Her ordain in Vietnam can be compared to a journey to the moon without oxygen where she is suffocating silently her story left in the dark no one to turn to, alone in a foreign place surrounded with foreign people.

It is really shameful that the complacency of those in charge of bilateral talks and treaties for international relations and diplomacy have failed and as a result a life is on the verge of being ended. It hurts even more when the government tries to mend up but at a time too late.

Kenya is fully at fault, the government proving once again that the generations 'z' had a justifiable reason to call them out, such a disgrace to our forefathers who fought sweat and blood, they really are turning in turmoil in whatever the places they are resting regretting and questioning the turn of events. Despite Kenya's Musali mud Avadi who is the prime cabinet Secretary currently in charge of foreign and diaspora affairs having a meeting with Vietnam's deputy minister of foreign affairs Nguyen Minh Hang, there's seemingly nothing fruitful that accrued towards helping one of our own again it’s a shame.

Nduta's story around her conviction or rather execution is eluded, opaque, as is expected considering her exclusion her claims hardly having given an ear. Nobody to stand with her no one to guide her of a possible appeal that at the moment is long gone. This should serve as a lesson to the government and the people of Kenya at large prevention is better than cure, with Nduta's case on the verge of uncertainty a hot reminder is served. The voices of the people must be heard. The people are the sovereign power of a country and when they yield together, they have to be heard.

For a country 62 years old we have really embarrassed Kenya. Our politicians running the government serving our country betrayed have not only betrayed Nduta but ales betrayed us all. We might not be able to change things at the moment but when it’s time for our decisions to count for us to decide who leads us may we remember Nduta's 11nth hour as youths.