Kenyan senators target minister over Somaliland ‘lecture’

Kenyan Senators on Thursday debated on whether to summon Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’oei for ‘lecturing’ them on Nairobi’s Somaliland policy.

The matter led to a clash on how to respond to a social media exchange between Speaker Amason Kingi and Dr Sing’oei on the controversial issue of Somaliland.

And while a number of the senators tore into the conduct of the PS for faulting the Senate Speaker in public over the country’s relations with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Whip Boni Khalwale defended his actions.

The senators demanded that the PS be summoned to appear before the House for demeaning Kingi in public and also offer an apology, accusing him of “selective amnesia”.

Read: Kenya’s never-ending gaffes on Somaliland

They argued that the character of the PS to casually handle diplomatic issues on social media was appalling and not in line with civil service code of conduct.

The issue arose on Tuesday night after Mr Kingi med with Mr Mohamed Ahmed Mohamoud, the head of the Somaliland Liason Office in Nairobi. And Kingi described Somaliland as a ‘republic’ with which Kenya “enjoy ties that stretch back to its days under British colonial rule, which bequeathed them almost similar systems and structures of governance at independence.”

“Somaliland is not a  recognised state and Dr Sing’oei promptly clarified Kenya’s position: “It is Kenya’s established, unchanging foreign policy, consistent with the AU that only the Federal Republic of Somalia is the recognised state entity,” he said.

“Somaliland, a region within the Federal Republic of Somalia, has a liaison office for commercial purposes in Nairobi. The office is not an embassy.”

Kingi later deleted the post but did not apologise for the error. In the Senate on Thursday, matter elicited mixed reactions as members debated a statement sought by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch from the committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations regarding diplomatic relations between Kenya and the Kingdom of Morocco, while also maintaining ties with the government of the breakaway Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Read: Kenya clarifies position on Sahrawi after gaffe

Although majority of the speakers supported establishment of an embassy in Morocco, also weighing in on the breakaway Sahrawi, they pegged it on President William Ruto’s agenda for an open Kenya that relates with all Africans. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is recognised by the African Union but no other country beyond Africa recognizes it. That has seen Morocco lobby down against Sahrawi’s existence, considering it as a part of Morocco’s province.

Nonetheless, the issue on the floor was more about respectful exchanges between senior government officials rather than a foreign policy. 

“It is an embarrassment for a low ranking officer at the MFA to attack the speaker, a symbol of the House. It is shameful and disrespectful of the officer to take on the speaker in a manner that is not normal,” said the Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo, also the Minority leader. 

“If you are working in the Executive, you can not meddle in the affairs of parliament. The PS’s action is an insult and embarrassment to this House, it is a matter of shame and shock as people from the coast, we will not allow any one sitting on the seat of the senate to go through the same.”

He demanded that the committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations chaired by Baringo senator William Cheptumo should summon the PS, who alleges has gone rouge.

“We will not allow the status of the senate to be demeaned.This senate has powers to consider matters of national interest. Senate led by the Speaker is allowed to engage with dignitaries, officials on matter that cut across different sectors like Health, Agriculture among others to help this country,” he stressed.

Read: Kenya’s change of guard: Why neighbours watch every step

According Madzayo, the most important assignment for the speaker is to ensure the House discharges its duties, including ratification of treaties.

Earlier, Minority Leader Ledama Ole Kina launched a scathing attack at the PS, calling for the capacity building of some of the officers to understand diplomatic issues.

“We have a critical role to educate some of those characters who represent us in ministry of foreign affairs. I was literary shocked when I saw the PS Abraham Sing’ei Korir really attacking the Speaker of the Senate and saying the speaker of this House can not be able to meet and discus issues to do with diplomacy,” faulted senator Ledama.

He continued, “You know people have selective amnesia, if you look at the previous administration and this offices we hold, they are not offices that belong to an individual. These are offices that transient individuals.”

Nairobi maintains a one-Somalia policy  but the previous administrations had often open doors for Somaliland leaders to visit or set up presence. President Uhuru Kenyatta, for instance, invited Muse Bihi Abdi, the President of Somaliland. It earned him a protest from Somalia including six months of severed diplomatic ties. Kenya, like Ethiopia and Djibouti have consulates in Hargeisa Somaliland, but they had to get permission from Mogadishu.