JEDDAH, 4 September 2005 — Kenyan expats held an interactive meeting with their Ambassador Dr. Yusuf A. Nzibo on Friday night, pleading for the establishment of a consulate in Jeddah.
“All our problems related to renewal of passports and other consular services in Jeddah and around can be solved with the setting up of a consulate here,” a community leader told the meeting organized by the Kenyan Welfare Association of Saudi Arabia at the Trident Hotel.
The ambassador, who assumed charge in Riyadh nearly a year ago and is due to present his credentials on Tuesday, said: “I’m all for it, but the final decision has to be taken by the Kenyan government. However, justification (for opening a consulate) has to be shown first.
Community members expressed the difficulties involved in seeking the various consular services from the embassy in Riyadh. “Once the consulate is established here, the country could benefit both in terms of improving the bilateral trade and flow of workers from Kenya,” another member said.
“I’m in favor of establishing a full-fledged consulate here not one with an honorary consul,” said the ambassador whose diplomatic post covers Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq.
“If it has to be a full-fledged consulate, it has to be approved and budgeted for by the Kenyan parliament. Alternatively, there could be an honorary consulate, either manned by a Kenyan or a Saudi national approved by the Kenyan authorities. Better still, if it’s manned by the staff from Kenya’s foreign ministry,” Nzibo said.
The ambassador announced that a delegation from the country’s foreign ministry would soon visit the Kingdom and Kuwait. “If the foreign minister comes, arrangements will be made for Kenyan nationals to meet him,” he said.
The ambassador referred to the KWASA’s welfare community welfare services and said its cooperation in organizing Haj for the country’s pilgrims over the years has been exemplary. “I hope you will continue with the cooperation this year and years to come as well,” he said.
He recalled that during his previous term as the Kenyan envoy in Washington, he had always urged the community to remain united and organize themselves into societies and associations. “I urged you Kenyans across the Kingdom to do the same and unify your ranks like Indian and some other expat communities,” the ambassador said and hoped that the KWASA would emerge stronger than ever.
Nzibo expressed the need for his country’s local employees to register themselves. “This is required in the interest of the community across Saudi Arabia,” he said.
When members raised specific case of employees getting a raw deal from their local sponsors or employers, the ambassador said: “The cases might not have been properly dealt with as the embassy was not adequately informed.”
Also, the ambassador emphasized that there was no budget allocation for housing or accommodating runaway employees.
Peter Ndolo, in charge of the embassy’s immigration and consular affairs, said neither the Kenyan constitution nor the law in the country authorized any Kenyan mission abroad to issue a passport to its nationals. “This practice prevails not only in Saudi Arabia but also all over the world,” he said in reply to a question.
Three committees of recruitment agents from Kenya have so far visited the Kingdom and discussed matters related to job prospects for Kenyans. Both he and the ambassador said getting employment here for job seekers in Kenya had become difficult due to the ongoing program of Saudization.
KWASA Chairman Mohammed Saddiq and Vice president Mohammad Said Haddas reviewed the activities of the organization over the years. They introduced a visiting delegation of tea traders from Kenya.
David C. Gachoki, marketing and promotion manager of the Tea Board of Kenya, is heading the team, which had a meeting with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry yesterday. “We’re here to convince the local trade about the high quality of our tea and increase our exports,” Gachoki said. Kenya’s annual tea exports to the Kingdom total 500,000 kg as against its annual production of 325 million kg., he added.
