Hiiraan Online

Mohamed Osman
Sunday, December 29, 2013

The author of the Article claims that:

“Kenyan officials haven’t given a presidential protocol to the visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud who is on an official tour to Nairobi where IGAD heads of state are meeting to try to ease the politically-motivated clan-based armed conflicts raging in South Sudan.”

Has this been an official visit I am sure the Government of Kenya would have arranged an appropriate Presidential welcome which includes 21-Gun-Salute and Red Carpet as well as the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and members of the Cabinet all lined up at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport to give the visiting Guest an official welcome.

The Nairobi gathering of the IGAD Heads of State is, in fact, a working meeting from which the people of South Sudan State and the peoples of the Horn of Africa expect an end of the bloodshed between the brothers in this newly born state.

The President of Somali Federal Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is a member of the IGAD committee charged with finding solution to South Sudan crisis.

There was no shortcoming from Kenyan side in the protocol arrangement for the reception at the Nairobi Airport of the President of Somali Federal Republic, Hassan Shaikh Mohamud.  In fact, he was received in the same way as the President of the Republic of Uganda, Yowery Kaguta Museveny, who is many years senior than him:

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Ambassador of Somalia to the Republic of Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur and the Envoy of IGAD to Somalia, Mohamed Abdi Affey.

Similarly President Yowery Museveni was received on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Uganda's High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms. Angelina Wapakhabulo and the Cabinet Secretary for Oil and Petroleum of Kenya, Hon. Davis Chirchir.

I think Kenya is playing the role of a venue for the meeting of the Heads of State and for the rest must have been “feel free, feel at home”.

As an African and as a Somali I feel ashamed and inappropriate even to think of, let alone of mentioning shortcoming in the protocol.