A sarcastic tweet by the US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter to deported Kenyan-Canadian lawyer Miguna Miguna has elicited mixed reactions online.
The US envoy and the controversial lawyer had an altercation on Twitter on Friday, July 17, following his post on the world-famous wildebeest migration.
Ambassador McCarter had published a short video on his personal Twitter account encouraging American tourists to visit Kenya since the ban on international travel had been lifted
However, the acerbic Kenyan lawyer interpreted the video differently, and rudely attacked the American ambassador.
“Like a typical Yankee and neocolonial chief, you maintain the primitive belief that Africa is just about WILD ANIMALS that you celebrate but you don’t care about the LIVES OF AFRICAN PEOPLES,” replied the lawyer on the Ambassador’s post.
Seemingly angered by the response, McCarter dropped his diplomatic niceties replying with sarcasm reminding the Miguna Miguna that he was also “free” to visit his homeland from which he has been deported twice.
It was not lost on the US diplomat that Miguna Miguna has been fighting to be allowed back to his country, a violation of his fundamental rights to citizenship as his passport was confiscated by the national government.
Miguna Miguna ran afoul of the government over his role in the mock swearing-in of National Super Alliance leader, Raila Odinga, in January 2018 at the height of the post-election tensions.
He was rendered a persona non grata and kicked out of the country despite having been born in Kenya.
However, the lawyer was able to return to his adopted country Canada since he holds dual citizenship.
