Kenya’s diplomatic row with the U.S ends

A diplomatic time bomb was defused on Tuesday after America assured Kenya that it will observe protocol in its diplomatic engagement and communication, Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula said on Tuesday.

Wetangula who met the US ambassador Michael Ranneberger on Tuesday morning said the two agreed to avoid actions that would undermine the “friendly relations between the two nations.”

The Minister had summoned Ranneberger over warning letters the U.S issued to 15 prominent Kenyans it claims are undermining the reform agenda.

“Our discussions were very productive and Ambassador Ranneberger knows and understands – if he didn’t – the need to follow protocol,” he said falling short of saying that Ranneberger apologised for announcing that letters warning of possible travel bans had been sent to 15 government officials through the media and bypassing government structures.

“We did agree there is no room for megaphone diplomacy but diplomacy that is mutual in nature and the channels of correspondence between governments are better used,” he added.

Wetangula said Ranneberger gave him a copy of the list of those who received the said letters but indicated he would not make the names public.

“I promised him (Ranneberger) that I would not make them public. Those who received can come out and declare,” he said.

The Minister summoned Mr Ranneberger on Monday to seek an explanation about what Kenya said was a breach of diplomatic protocol after the US issued letters to the 15 individuals instead of communicating directly with the government.

Ranneberger revealed details of the letters last Thursday while Wetangula was away on official duty in the US. The Minister was infuriated by the letters signed by the Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson and termed them ‘an act of intimidation.’ He also warned that Kenya could use diplomatic options available “to curtail Ranneberger’s habitual breach of protocol.”

The summons to the envoy followed an official protest letter sent to Washington by President Mwai Kibaki on Saturday over the same issue. In his letter, the Head of State said the action by the US Government official was considered ‘out of step with international protocols in the conduct of relations between friendly nations.’

British Asians ‘outsourcing murder’

Family and business associates, who are lured to the sub-continent, are often the targets.

In a country where murder is cheaper and less fraught with risk, the perpetrators of these crimes are rarely brought to justice.

Campaigners in both India and the UK believe this to have claimed the lives of hundreds of victims over several years.

These armchair murder plots are hatched in the living rooms of Britain and executed mainly in the rural Indian state of Punjab.

ut in the manicured grounds of his colonial-style villa in Punjab’s capital, Chandigarh, inspector general of police for Jalandhar district Sanjiv Kalra says the figures are exaggerated and denies his force is riddled with corruption.

“From my experience, these kinds of things are more talked about than they are actually present on the ground,” he said.

However, for many victims’ families the search for justice in India is elusive.

They are now turning to the authorities in the UK for help. British detectives are increasingly being called in to solve these murders.

Commander Steve Allen of the Metropolitan Police Service has this stark warning.

“We have increased our knowledge of and our confidence in dealing with murders of British citizens overseas. We will follow you, we will pursue the evidence and we will bring you to justice wherever in the world you commit these offences.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says it is currently aware of six British nationals who have gone missing in the Delhi and Punjab area.

man u khabranama or aaj with kamran khan kay saath. Saans to lay ek waqt main ek cheez. Keery-lugar par discuss hona chahiye its most imp, beavis and butt head aka sharif bros i think sheikh alone is enuff for these morons. BTW why JI contesting from same seat? Hafiz has no other seat in lhr?

Beside come on without sheikh wat fun in politics? Its like life without peer pagar predictions, who else can give us tarzan ki b** mera matbal hai tarzan ki tarah – lol

prove it. Shiekh took money. Ek corruption ka case dikha do or just even allege it.

“Well, if there is a “contest”, and a fair one (I seriously doubt it)”

Maybe the answer lies in your statement above. Maybe the “preparations” (read planning of cheating) has not been completed for clean sweep.