From: Christine Baraza
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 11:18:19 PM
Subject: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
Many Kenyans abroad have expressed the view that Ambassador Ogego should be recalled on many grounds and I believe its time he was recalled. His stay in the US as Kenya’s Ambasador is only hurting the relationship between Kenya and the United States.
1. First, Mr.Ogego hasnt built any good relationships with the United States at a time when Kenya needs that relationship more than any other time before. It’s Mr.Ogego who even before presenting his credentials to President Bush rubbished the current President-Barrack Obama the wrong way for no apparent reason but only that Ogego was selfishly protecting his job and his stomach. Its no wonder that his continued stay in the US will not be helpful to any bilateral relationship with the United States. The Kenya government by leaving Ogego as Ambassador is only hurting itself and the benefits that Kenya can gain from US-Kenya relationship. Ogego is not the one to build that relationship and this is not something that Kibaki doesnt know. For the good of the country, he should be recalled immediately.
2.Secondly,any Kenyan who lives in the United States knows very well that Ogego is not a Diplomat at all..maybe only by name. He is arrogant and more than proud to lead any group of people. He has proved that political appointees with no diplomacy training do not make good ambassadors. All that Ogego has been doing is protecting his job by any means necessary..by being partisan and not doing what a diplomat is supposed to do. Ogego can do anything to protect his job at the expense of serving Kenyans abroad. It seems that Ogego has exported serving PNU to the United States at the expense of serving Kenya. He seems to have zero respect for the Prime Minister for reasons better known to him. Just as we speak there are rumours that he championed the view that Raila should not meet President Obama before Kibaki does. What does that help Kenya with?
3. Third, Ogego is more partisan that politicians in Kenya today. In 2007, he openly campaigned in the United States for Mwai Kibaki and made every meeting that he attended a political meeting where he bashed ODM and Raila Odinga and championed the vote for Kibaki. He even said that donors will run away from Kenya if ODM wins. Are civil servants supposed to do that? Is Public Officer’s Ethics Act being flouted with abandon here? He went as far as saying that no one should symphathise with him for being partisan and warned the country into voting ODM saying that donors will run away if ODM won. Today, Ogego continues to rubbish ODM and the Prime Minister, wherever he goes and seems to represent PNU in the United States and not the Kenyan government. This is not what Kenyans in the United States want their ambassador to be. Its time Ogego was recalled back into the country.
4. Fourth, Ogego’s contract expired more than 4 months ago and he is today holding the position due to political reasons and not any reasons that would benefit Kenya.Its political shananigans that is keeping Ogego in the United States and not any good reason at all. This is the time that Kenya needs a strong team and an enlightened Diplomat in Washington D.C and Ogego is not that diplomat. For the Good of Kenya, let Ogego be recalled with immediate effect.
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From: Stevens Musuku
Subject: Re: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 6:17 AM
Christine Baraza, well audited report. Better put and said more than I could ever imagine in my wildest of dreams. But I do beg to differ wit you on only on item; recalling him back home. I don not really know how this may/will help the people back at home. This is a fellow who does not have the interests of the people of Kenya, or even Kenya itself at heart. He’s got his own interests at heart. Kenya needs recalling people who would/will add value to the well-being of our nation and the people that occupy it.
Ogego, given he has done all these wanting stuff while out of Kenya, what do you imagine the guy would do if brought back home? Kuna msemo wa kiswahili, naukumbuka nyakati zile nilikuwa bado shuleni. Mwalimu wangu a lugha ya kiswahili at that time told me, “akumulikae mchana, usiku akuchoma”. Now just in case u may want me to expound on that, if this guy is tribalistic while in the US, where there aint no tribes, what would he do once he jets back to the country where tribalism is strangling a great population of this country? He will have a field day spreading his seeds of discord. I would rather this guy is kept at bay.
Najua na ninafahamu kuwa yeye ni mkenya tu kama mimi na wewe na wale wakenya wengine. Kenya ni kwao nyumbani, lakini ikiwa yeye hana itifaki hata kidogo, hana heshima kwa nchi yake na kwa binadamu kwa jumla, yeye hafai kupewa heshima. Kono mtupu haulambwi, scratch my back I scratch yours. I believe someone somewhere has to take some time and pump some knowledge of etiquete into him before he even qualifies to jet back home. I am indeed sorry for my input in this, but again, this is just a personal opinion, thats how I feel. My sentiments are subject to criticism, I am not an angel to claim that whatever I say has to carry the day. I just dn’t like this guy.
Thats it
Steve
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From: Judy Miriga
Subject: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 9:47 AM
Glad to hear from Christine,
It is true Ambassador Ogego is a big embarrassment in Washington D.C. All his actions and sneekiness are associated to those of Mafia gang of the underworld. I believe he has overstayed his usefulness if there were any. Keeping him here any longer confirms how Kenya is completely dysfunctional and is a failed State. I had registered my complaint of the same in the past.
No one in any administration can trust information of diplomatic consultation as credible and reliable coming from Ambassador Ogego.
I therefore wonder, of what use would Kenya Coalition Government be keeping Ambassador Ogego in the U.S.A.? Under which category bracket of Diplomatic Representation is Ogego serving Kenya or Kenyans and the host Country? Whose interest is he serving? Can we get answers from Kenyan Government and the Parliamentary policy Governing body?
I believe these are wastages of Public Tax Payers money, exposing lack of integrity in the part of Kenya’s standing and weakening all possible Diplomatic relations and ties between Kenya and the world.
The Citizens of Kenya must demand to account from the Kenyan Government and pressure for immediate action.
Thank you.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
All Ambassadors are representatives of Head of States in foreign countries;therefore ambassador Ogego is representing Kibaki’s interests all the time.To kibaki,ambassador Ogego is very effective and doing an excellent work. Let us blame the principal not agent.
Kenyans in USA should learn how to work with the ambassador instead of blaming him on issues which are beyond his control as a civil servant. I admire Ogego’s work because of his principles by handling his work professionally. Kenyans are used wind-vane characters.
In fact, Judy ,you should give ambassador Ogego a breathing space to perform his duties.The position which Ogego is holding needs encouragement from our diaspora community to make his work easy. If one has personal or national problems with ambassador Ogego, he or she should make a presentation confidentially.
The clash between Obama and Ogego of long time ago should not be a factor of discussion at the moment. Obama is avery a mature politically and one doubts whether he can show personal disrecard to Ogego.
fromDavid ochwangi
dateTue, Sep 22, 2009 at 6:26 AM
subject Re: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
NONESENSE! Wacha fitina nyinyi, eti recall the ambassador, WHY? For what reason? Why don’t you recall the imitation government in Nairobi first? I don’t know what your point of reference is guys but I suspect it is the same old usual untenable vexatious verbosity. Contrary to the obvious witch-hunt by some of you, Kenya’s failures are not of Ambassador Ogego’s making; Nairobi is sick and has screwed up Kenya, not Ambassodor Ogego; the man is doing the best he can under very tenuous circumstances. Beyond the platitudes and tired old talking points, you have no basis to make such outlandish calls for the recall of the ambassador; HE IS GOING NOWHERE!
Now here are some true facts about the man:
I, too live in the United States, probably longer than any of you and I can honestly say Ambassador Ogego has gone out of his way in more ways than I care to count to unite Kenyans in this country. He helped set up and assign different cities across the US with purposeful events which unite Kenyans, none of his predecessors did any of that, I can’t recall Ngaithe or Nzibo making the kind of outreach efforts this ambassador has undertaken.
This Ambassador has tried very much to secure educational and scholarship opportunities for Kenyans working with various US colleges and institutions in the US, none of which his predecessors did a good job at And to you Musuku, I wonder what you mean when you refer to Christine’s commentary as “well audited”, by whom?! As I said, I live in the US and I have no clue what the woman is talking about much less agree with majority of it; so can you please clarify your statement?
Christine, What do you mean Ogego hasn’t built good relationship with the US? By whose standards? Ogego didn’t call for mass action, Ogego didn’t declare Kibaki Tosha, Ogego didn’t declare Kibaki the winner of last year’s elections, Ogego is not the one starving Kenyans, Ogego did not allocate land in the Mau, Ogego didn’t kill anyone to protest “stolen” elections, Ogego didn’t reappoint Ringera, hellooooo! These facts speak for themselves are the root cause of Kenya’s tenuous relationship with the US, not Ogego..wake up and grow up.
I am a Kenyan who lives in the US and I know Ogego to be a very good and capable diplomat; the man is not arrogant and if he is, prove it!
I agree with you that political appointees with no diplomatic training shouldn’t be appointed to diplomatic posts, did you send Prime Minister Odinga that memo and ask him to withhold the appointment of his Chemistry Professor sister to the Consulate Office in LA? Or don’t you think the double standard would be noticeable? Point being, these people will always be political appointees, qualified or not and our only recourse is assessing their records in service delivery, not taking cheap unsubstantiated shots at every turn…stop!
As for the meeting with President Obama, are you SERIOUS? The United States President can meet anyone anywhere at a time of his own choosing, Ogego doesn’t run President Obama’s scheduling! People, this is America, not Nyamakoroto, jeeze! President Obama is a very intelligent man and perhaps he is not too happy with a very fast crumbling homeland of his father and perhaps he has also taken note that the crumbling has accelerated since the so called “Grand Coalition”
Ogego didn’t campaign for any one candidate but to urge people to look at the government’s record, and so what if he did..BIG DEAL! We have more wrong to cure in Kenya than worry whether an ambassador attended a political gathering at some point during the campaigns, get a grip people.
Listen guys, I’ve been around the block long enough to know bull when it is apparent and this witch hunt is exactly that; BULL. Upuzi mtupu!
fromjulia chege
dateTue, Sep 22, 2009 at 7:31 AM
subjectRe: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
I am so with you on that Christine….I also remember he along with Alfred Mutua talking smack about/to Obama,when he criricised the government for corruption, then later when Obama won, he was the first to hold a party for kenyans in the diaspora to celebrate…..a serious case of foot in mouth! Its obvious the man is a politician not a diplomat. As for Ochwangi, try & stay within the conversation, what do stolen elections have to do with this?…..
fromonguru daniel
dateTue, Sep 22, 2009 at 10:13 AM
subject Re: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
hi julia,
whatever other experiences some people have had with ogego, i stand uninformed. the only thing i know is that his appointment was done in a manner not consistent with what kenyans would expect. you see, ogego carried the banana stalk in nyanza in 2006, earning him a diplomatic status. if, thus, he renders himself irrellevant, it befits the selection criteria for the job…that’s why KACC should have legitimately appointed officers! have a non-ogego-like afternoon.
dan
fromJohn Kamau
dateTue, Sep 22, 2009 at 4:57 PM
subject Re: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
Ogego must go! Ogego must go! This sounds much like the common tune sung by paid up goons on the streets of Nairobi dancing to the tune of their paymaster during campaigns to malign a person whose only evil is to be in the opposing camp. I would not have expected this mob justice behavior of us in this forum. Before those baying for Ogegos blood start lynching me for being a man from the lake, may I confess that I do not support Ogego’s ambassadorial position based on race color tribal or political party alieghnment, I am above that. You are at it once again, You went for the poor guys head soon after last Elections with letters all over the USA state departments and unruly demonstrations in Washington. Is that not true ODM representative in the Diaspora, M/S Judy Miriga???
I see ambassador Ogego like any other Kenyan civil servant serving a two in one government, the first in the world inposed upon hapless Kenyans by The developing world on trial bases. If it works then a solution to the bickering and massacres in the third world after Elections will be one step solved.
Otherwise , why would people in their right state of mind request of a sovereign nation to have Two people with two different Ideological mind sets and back grounds to lead the same country. Why not just annul the Elections and use the same force to hold a fresh Election.
Or simply put why didn’t Obama share the reigns of power with Clinton or finally with McCain if this system of government is the best.
Ogego is a victim like any other civil servant and not a culprit he needs support and not condemnation and uncalled for verification. Its hard to walk the tightrope as it is without us making it harder PNU and ODM politics should not be used to destroy our civil unity any longer. We will still need each other when this eveil system fails and a normal government is put in place 2012.
fromChristine Baraza
dateTue, Sep 22, 2009 at 7:53 PM
subject Re: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
Mr.Kamau you seem be shifting every blame that individuals should bare to some unknown powers that only you knows. I have always thought that you do have some sense of how arguments are constructed but it seems you dont. Even if you aint from the Lake-this holier than thou attitude doesnt make an argument. You seem to be supporting Ogego on the grounds that he is supporting Mwai Kibaki and PNU. We are trying to be objective in this matter and only looking at what Ogego as a person has done. I wonder where you are getting the outside influences.
Every civil servant must bear his own cross and responsibilities just like Ringera is doing. Dont blame some government in Kenya. Ogego was appointed to serve Kenya as a government not PNU as he is continually doing to protect his job at the expense of his ambassadorial duties to Kenya. DONT MAKE OGEGO A VICTIM of ANYTHING..Be it power-sharing or PNU. If we continue with your line of thought then we are GOING TO SUPPORT CORRUPTION and call corrupt people VICTIMS. Every civil servant must be put to Accountability and Transparency. This defeatist argument that they are VICTIMS is bogus.
HERE IS MR.OGEGO A CIVIL SERVANT CAMPAIGNING FOR MWAI KIBAKI:WATCH…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWKydHGtzlM
fromnimmyboy@ . . .
dateTue, Sep 22, 2009 at 5:18 PM
subject Re: Recall Ambassador Ogego Immediately
Ogego was ordered back to Kenya by Foreign Affairs and Kibaki himself but he refused to obey the orders of his superiors and they did nothing to him. Wetangula is a weak Minister!