US embassy cancels Mwau news conference

The US embassy in Nairobi cancelled a much-publicised news conference where it was expected to divulge the details behind the naming of two Kenyans as “drug kingpins” June 21, 2011. FILE

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, June 21 2011 at 17:32

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The US embassy in Nairobi Tuesday cancelled a much-publicised news conference where it was expected to divulge the details behind the naming of two Kenyans as “drug kingpins”.

Embassy officials in Nairobi explained the cancellation as arising from the date mix-up, and thus postponed the news conference to next Tuesday.

Journalists, who had been kept waiting at the video conference room for the virtual date with Adam Szubin, the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets in the US Department of Treasury, were taken aback by the last-minute cancellation.

Mr John Haynes, the Counsellor of Public Affairs, said the virtual date between Kenyan journalists and Mr Szubin, was initially scheduled for last week, then rescheduled to this week. However, he said, he mixed up the dates, so that instead of Tuesday June 28, he booked it a week earlier.

Mr Haynes said the embassy had scheduled the news conference to address the various questions in the public domain regarding the naming of two Kenyans John Harun Mwau and Naima Mohamed Nyakiniywa as among the key drug barons in the world.

Mr Szubin was expected to tell reporters what the implications of being named as a “drug kingpins” means to Mr Mwau, Ms Nyakiniywa and their business associates in Kenya and in the US.

He was also expected to explain the specifics of the two, whose assets are frozen in the US.

Under the US law, being named as a key player in trafficking narcotics means that the named person, is prohibited from doing business or moving money through the US. Besides the person’s assets within the jurisdiction of the US are also frozen.

Mr Mwau has pleaded innocent with regard to the US sanctions and has already expressed fear for his life, saying he was being pursued and trailed by US vehicles within Nairobi.