PR TIMES AFRICA PRTimesAfrica (March 2016) | Page 31

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
THE POWER LINES IN
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY
Tell us about yourself
I was born 52years ago in Nairobi Kenya, I’ve
been a diplomat since 1982. My first posting
was New York, my second was Washington, my
third was New York and my fourth was Wash-
ington, my fifth was to South Africa as High
Commissioner for 6years. Thereafter I came
to Nigeria, February 22nd 2013, I presented my
credentials to Dr.Goodluck Jonathan on April
11th, 2013 and I’ve been in this country ever
since, so officially I am 2years in Abuja but I’ve
been about 30plus years in the foreign service
of Kenya.
How did you find yourself in diplomacy as a ca-
reer?
I grew up as a young man in my teens before
I went to college and then after I went to col-
lege, those were turbulent times and as a mat-
ter of interest I used to see Henry Kissinger as
an icon and somebody I’d love to emulate, and
that drove my studies, because I was very good
in physics, chemistry and biology and in those
days that was an opportunity for medicine, in
fact all my grades were distinction in the sci-
ences. My love for diplomacy, at least from
31 | PRTIMES AFRICA MARCH 2016