Envoy Denies Abandoning Kenyans

Ambassador Cleland Leshore, the Kenyan envoy to Juba

The Kenyan embassy in South Sudan has now admitted there is rising concern over the high number of cases of Kenyans being mistreated in the world’s newest republic.

It has equally conceded there are inconsistencies in the manner South Sudan authorities deal with the cases, a situation it attributes to lack of capacity in Government.

Ambassador Cleland Leshore, the Kenyan envoy to Juba, notes that the embassy has on several occasions even protested to different South Sudan Government institutions, particularly on cases involving State agencies.

He is nonetheless quick to state that Kenyans are not being exclusively targeted in the wave of crimes and harassment, with other nationals equally on the receiving end of the hostility.

“The embassy has no reports of cases of insecurity being discriminatory. South Sudan being in a post-conflict State has inherent insecurity, which emanate from long periods of civil war and which are prone to occur in such societies. This is compounded by lack of substantial information by those wishing to visit or work in the country,” says Leshore.

Consistently ignored

Last week, The Standard ran a report detailing the plight of Kenyan investors in Southern Sudan. The investors claimed Kenyan citizens were being targeted by both civilians and authorities, leading to deaths, torture and robberies amounting to loss of millions of shillings (READ: Kenyans Face Hostility in South Sudan).

As a result of the attacks, a worrying number of Kenyans have been returning home fearing for their own lives and wellbeing.

Most of the affected investors protested that the Kenyan embassy in South Sudan had consistently ignored their complaints.

But despite conceding that Kenyans have been victims of harassment from diverse quarters, Leshore denies claims the embassy has been negligent in protecting Kenyan citizens.

Source: The Standard