Outgoing Envoy Advises Kenyans, prepares for Final Farewell
H. E. Peter N.R.O Ogego, the outgoing Kenyan Ambassador to the US ( second left) attends a Sunday service at the Tumaini Community church in Springfield, Massachusetts during a final meet the people tour last month. Kenyans in DC have organized a farewell party for the Ambassador to be held this Saturday at a Hotel in Maryland.To the far right is Robinson Gachuhi, the Global chairman of Diaspora movement of Kenya. H.Main/Ajabu Images
By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News, posted June 3, 2010 (Updated June 4, 2010.This version corrects the earlier version)
The outgoing Kenyan Ambassador to the US, H. E. Peter N.R.O Ogego left various nuggets of advice to Kenyans on how to use their diplomatic mission to resolve some of their problems in the Diaspora including immigration snags that dog many Kenyans abroad and buying cheap life insurance to protect their families because “nobody has a date with death”.
The popular envoy was on his final leg of the tour of the New England region recently as he prepares to attend a final farewell party organized by the Kenyans in Washington DC to take place this Saturday.
The farewell event will be held at the Marriot Bethesda Hotel on 5151 Pooks Hill Road in Bethesda, Maryland and will be attended by various government dignitaries led by the visiting Minister for Immigration and Registration of Persons, Hon. Gerald Otieno Kajwang.
Hon. Kajwang will at the same time be witnessing the unveiling of the new online passport issuance system at the Kenyan embassy in Washington DC which will transform the way Kenyans renew and acquire passports.www.kenyaembassy.com
The passport system is among the many reforms that the outgoing diplomat initiated during his last four years as head of the mission.
The farewell party has already attracted Kenyans from many parts of the country who have registered to attend and get a chance to hang out with the people’s envoy.
Hon. Ogego is being succeeded by Mr. Elkanah Odembo, the former Kenya’s Ambassador to France, as the top representative of the Kenya Government in the USA. He is expected to take the mantle soon.
Living true to his fame as the people’s ambassador, Hon. Ogego recently took a three day tour to meet Kenyans in New England, attending several functions at Hartford, Connecticut and ending with a Sunday service at the Tumaini Gospel church in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Ogego, right, listens during a Q&A session at the Yale University townhall meeting
During the trip, the ambassador was hosted by Kenyans in their homes, sharing dinner while having conversations as far as New Hampshire, Ohio and even Raleigh, North Carolina.
At one such function held at the legendary Yale University, Hon. Ogego told Kenyans in the Diaspora that the Kenyan embassy is there to serve them and they should always make the best use of it by keeping in close contact and visiting the website regularly for updated information.
The Ambassador said that most of the problems Kenyans go through in America including immigration issues can be resolved through the Embassy but most have no clue that the embassy is there to help, so they never contact it to find out what can be done.
The outgoing envoy said that the Kenyan community in the US has increased rapidly and there is need to shed some of the retrogressive cultural practices that hinder the progress of the community in a fast paced world.
Hon. Ogego particularly decried the failure by many Kenyans to buy cheap life insurance to protect themselves against devastating effects of the loss of community members, which has led to weekly calls for burial fundraisings everywhere.
He said that those Kenyans who refuse to buy themselves cheap life insurance make other Kenyans feel guilty for not sending funeral donations that are sent our regularly, and divert funds from much needed community needs.
“You make everyone feel guilty for your failure to buy a $10 insurance.” CONTINUED BELOW
Ajabu TV footage
He caused laughter when he repeated what most Kenyan say when they get news of another Kenyan who has died somewhere and they don’t want to be involved in the fundraising, saying “Kariuki si Ni Mtu wa kwenu huyo. Nimesikia Kuna mtu wa kwenu amekufa huko Texas” (Kariuki, that’s a person from your home area. I am hearing that there is a person from your village who has died in Texas).
The ambassador said that sometimes, it is better to borrow a leaf from the Kenyans community in Georgia who got tired of shipping bodies back home for burial till that they decided to have local (USA) burials for dead Kenyans whose families did not have funds to bury in Kenya.
“The failure to buy insurance is a cultural thing. We must keep working at it to save ourselves from embarrassments at these many fundraisings,” said the Ambassador.
He added that the Kenyan embassy has instituted many reforms to make the services to Kenyans in the USA better especially with the new passport renewal system which requires all passports applications and renewals to be done online at the Embassy’s website.
He congratulated the many Kenyans in the Diaspora working hard at schools and colleges, and those doing big projects to help those Kenyans at home make some economic progress.
The ambassador said that among the programs he initiated at the embassy is that Presidential Awards to recognize those Kenyans in the Diaspora who have done outstanding contributions to the lives of Kenyans here and at home.
He said anyone can be nominated for these awards as long as they are doing great things to the community.
He however, added that the embassy is also there to help those Kenyans who find it hard to cope with the fast pace of life in America and are falling between the cracks.
“Tell them the embassy is there to help. But they must engage us to determine what we can do for them,” said Ogego.
Kenyans listen to Ambassador Ogego during the Yale University townhall meeting
Answering questions during a question and answer session, Hon. Ogego asked Kenyan leaders in the US and in the motherland to help the community build and respect strong institutions which will serve the community well instead of putting them down.
“Some Kenyans praise the systems in place when they favor them but immediately criticize them when they are not favorable to them,” he said.
He called for civility in the political discourse in Kenya and asked politicians and would be politicians to engage in well mannered democratic debate as opposed to violent settlements of arguments.
“If we disagree with you on a certain debate and the next thing I hear is you hired thugs to come and beat me up. That is very uncouth,” said the humorous envoy.
He defended himself against lingering questions in his well published spate in the media several years ago when he blamed the then Senator Barrack Obama for interfering with Kenyan affairs during a tour to his (Obama) homeland when he blamed Kenyan leaders for failure to stop corruption in Kenya.
Ogego said his response to Obama then was in order and he would repeat it all over again if he were to be reminded.
“I did what I was sent here to do. And that is defend my country under all circumstances,” said Ogego amidst wild applause.
However, he said he feels the pains caused by the endemic corruption in Kenya and repeated his dedication to reforms that would root out the archaic malpractice.
The Yale event was organized by Isaac Newton Kinitty, a former the Kenya Civil Cervants Union , who now lives in Hartford, Connecticut.
Kinitty thanked the ambassador for taking time to visit Kenyans in Connecticut and wished him well in his next assignment.
Isaac Newton Kinitty, former head of the Kenya Civil Servants Union during a town hall meeting with Ambassador Ogego
Kinitty however asked the ambassador to impress upon the Kenyan government on his return home that Kenyans abroad are watching carefully the build up of tension as the next general elections in 2012 and the upcoming constitutional referendum processes approach.
He said that Kenyans are worried that there will be repeated bloodshed as it happened in the disputed 2007 elections, especially due to the media reports of bows, arrows and guns imported into Kenya recently and which have now vanished without explanation.
“Hon. Ambassador, we ask you to tell the leaders back home that we are very worried and we are looking closely at what will happen.”
Kinitty added that the Kenyan government needs to start using the massive expertise of Kenyans in the Diaspora for leading positions in the economic development of Kenya instead of hiring expensive expatriates who end up repatriating big salaries to their home countries.
“The Kenyan government needs to create a way for skilled Kenyans here to go back and take prime positions. That is the only way we can create sustainable development of institutions in Kenya,” said the long time political activist.
While closing the yale town hall meeting, martin Owino from Boston moved a vote of thanks to the Ambassador for taking his time to visit Kenyans before he return to the home land.
"We sincerely thank you for the good service you have given us for all those years", said Owino.
"It has been an excellent opportunity to meet our Ambassador face to face and ask question that we think affect us as Kenyans in the Diaspora", said Robinson Gachuhi, the Global chairman of Diaspora movement of Kenya.
After spending two nights in Connecticut that included two dinner parties with Kenyans, Ogego attended a Sunday service at the Tumaini Community church in Springfield.
During the service, many Kenyans were happy that they were able to get close to their Ambassador and talk one on one with him.
Martin Owino, moved a vote of thanks
“We are so honored to be visited by such a high ranking government official like you,” said Catherine Wachira, a woman leader at the church while giving a welcoming speech.
The pastor of the church, Rev. Joseph Kimatu, now Rev. Dr. Kimatu thanked the ambassador for the humility he has shown while serving Kenyans in the US.
He said that God uplifts those who humble themselves in service to the people just like Hon. Ogego has been doing. He wished him good luck in his next appointment.
“I like what the ambassador said about Kenyans repatriating bodies back home,” said Kariuki Kihogo of Springfield. I had also suggested the same over 10 years ago at a house meeting in Boston.
Kariuki said that repatriating bodies back home is expensive and cumbersome as our culture changes and our families get more entrenched in America.
“It only makes sense for those Kenyans whose entire families are back home, otherwise most of our children will not want to keep going back to Africa to visit our graves when we die,” added the long time HIV activist and community organizer.
The upcoming Saturday farewell event has been organized by the Kenya Christian Fellowship in America- DC Chapter (website) and will start at 6pm – 10 pm. The event, expected to attract hundreds of dignitaries will include a Buffet Dinner with a ticket price tagged at $50 per head.
“This is our way of expressing our gratitude to Ambassador Ogego after years of serving our community and bringing unity among our Kenyan churches in USA,” said Joyce Gacuca - Organizing Secretary of the KCFA- DC Chapter, and one of the main organizers of the Christian Farewell Dinner.
Due to numerous online bookings by Kenyans from different US States, the organizer urged Kenyans who had not responded to do so by Friday, June 4, 2010 to avoid disappointment for this modest event.
Joyce Gacuca, who together with other KCFA-DC Chapter officials were also very influential at organizing another KCFA-DC prayer event to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama last year, said that Kenyan Christians in America have been very blessed to have a God fearing envoy who networks with them regularly, and has encouraged many to participate in institution or activities intended to promote human welfare especially back in Kenya.
Thereafter, there will be another Kenyan Cultural Event at the nearby Rockville Rendezvous Club along 11910, Park lawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852 from 11PM until 3:00A.M during which Kenyans will continue socializing.
Ajabu Africa News & Ajabu TV will be on location to cover the function.
Note: There was an error in our previous version of this article indicating that Newton Kinitty was a former head of Civil Service in Kenya. Kinnity was at one time head of Kenya Civil Servants Union. Ajabu Africa.com would like to apologise to our readers for the error.
