Thursday was quite obviously a busy day for Her Majesty The Queen. The presentation of one new high commissioner and one new ambassador took centre-stage, along with the appointment of Her Majesty’s newest Canadian representative, and to top it all off, a celebration of the longstanding friendly diplomatic relationship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Commonwealth of Australia. This flurry of activity was published by Buckingham Palace in The Court Circular, the official publication of The Queen’s engagements.
High Commission for the Republic of Kenya
The first order of business at Buckingham Palace was for His Excellency Mr. Ephraim Ngare to present His Excellency’s Letters of Commission as the High Commissioner for the Republican Kenya in London to The Queen. The high commissioner also presented the Letters of Recall of His Excellency’s predecessor. The high commissioner will be representing His Excellency Mr. Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of Kenya, who is both the head of State and head of Government of the republic.
The Republic of Kenya was at one time a protectorate called British East Africa; in 1963, it became the Dominion of Kenya, before becoming an independent republic one year later. Power is ‘shared’ under an arrangement struck between the oppositely-aligned President of Kenya, and Mr. Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya. A deal had to be struck when allegations of electoral corruption surfaced after His Excellency’s victory in the 2007 presidential election. There is now again a constitutional amendment in progress to abolish the office of the prime minister.
The National Assembly of Kenya initiates and passes legislation for the republic, and is comprised of two hundred twenty four members. Two hundred ten members are elected by single member plurality (or “first past the post”). Twelve additional members are appointed by the political parties, apportioned based on the results of the most recent election. Two additional members hold their seats ex officio based on another office held, and these are Mr. Kenneth Marende, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and Mr. Amos Wako, Attorney General of Kenya.
The current levels of corruption that have ravaged the Kenyan Government should make it abundantly clear that it was unmistakably an error for the Kenyan people to seek independence from The Crown. Centuries of legal precedent and constitutional convention could have provided for a stable system of governance that could have seen the Kenyan people through a healthy amount of self-determination and government, but with the appropriate checks, balances and oversight of a Governor General as a representative of The Queen. Seeing the colossal joke that has become the Government of Kenya, with any luck this high commissioner might help to bring about the return of Kenya as a Dominion.
Embassy for the Sultanate of Oman
The second matter to attend to was for His Excellency Shaikh Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Hinai to present His Excellency’s Letters of Credence to The Queen as the Ambassador for the Sultanate of Oman to the Court of St James’s. The ambassador’s predecessor’s Letters of Recall were also presented to Her Majesty. The ambassador is to serve as a representative of His Majesty Qābūs ibn Saˤīd as-Saˤīd, Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman, to The Queen (as an ambassador is a representative between heads of State and not heads of Government, as would be the case with a high commissioner).
The Sultanate of Oman is governed under an absolute monarchy system, with the parliamentary advice of a bicameral ‘legislature’. The State Council is akin to an upper house, with members appointed by the Sultan to assist with the implementation of the Government’s agenda. The Consultative Assembly (the ‘lower house’) is an advisory body of eighty-three elected members with limited legislative powers. Only non-partisans may be elected to the Consultative Assembly as the present Sultan has disallowed political parties.
At both presentations The Queen was joined by Sir Peter Ricketts K.C.M.G., the Permanent Undersecretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the seniormost civil servant in the United Kingdom for foreign affairs and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Appointment of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
After having received the high commissioner and ambassador, Her Majesty also met one of the newest Canadian representatives of The Crown, His Honour The Honourable Philip Lee C.M., O.M., Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. Also in attendance was Her Honour Ms. Anita Lee. The present Lieutenant Governor was appointed on the advice of The Right Honourable Stephen Harper P.C., M.P. (Calgary Southwest), the Prime Minister of Canada. Before the appointment as Lieutenant Governor, His Honour had run for election to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba representing the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (and lost).
High Commission for the Republic of Kenya
The first order of business at Buckingham Palace was for His Excellency Mr. Ephraim Ngare to present His Excellency’s Letters of Commission as the High Commissioner for the Republican Kenya in London to The Queen. The high commissioner also presented the Letters of Recall of His Excellency’s predecessor. The high commissioner will be representing His Excellency Mr. Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of Kenya, who is both the head of State and head of Government of the republic.
The Republic of Kenya was at one time a protectorate called British East Africa; in 1963, it became the Dominion of Kenya, before becoming an independent republic one year later. Power is ‘shared’ under an arrangement struck between the oppositely-aligned President of Kenya, and Mr. Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya. A deal had to be struck when allegations of electoral corruption surfaced after His Excellency’s victory in the 2007 presidential election. There is now again a constitutional amendment in progress to abolish the office of the prime minister.
The National Assembly of Kenya initiates and passes legislation for the republic, and is comprised of two hundred twenty four members. Two hundred ten members are elected by single member plurality (or “first past the post”). Twelve additional members are appointed by the political parties, apportioned based on the results of the most recent election. Two additional members hold their seats ex officio based on another office held, and these are Mr. Kenneth Marende, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and Mr. Amos Wako, Attorney General of Kenya.
The current levels of corruption that have ravaged the Kenyan Government should make it abundantly clear that it was unmistakably an error for the Kenyan people to seek independence from The Crown. Centuries of legal precedent and constitutional convention could have provided for a stable system of governance that could have seen the Kenyan people through a healthy amount of self-determination and government, but with the appropriate checks, balances and oversight of a Governor General as a representative of The Queen. Seeing the colossal joke that has become the Government of Kenya, with any luck this high commissioner might help to bring about the return of Kenya as a Dominion.
Embassy for the Sultanate of Oman
The second matter to attend to was for His Excellency Shaikh Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Hinai to present His Excellency’s Letters of Credence to The Queen as the Ambassador for the Sultanate of Oman to the Court of St James’s. The ambassador’s predecessor’s Letters of Recall were also presented to Her Majesty. The ambassador is to serve as a representative of His Majesty Qābūs ibn Saˤīd as-Saˤīd, Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman, to The Queen (as an ambassador is a representative between heads of State and not heads of Government, as would be the case with a high commissioner).
The Sultanate of Oman is governed under an absolute monarchy system, with the parliamentary advice of a bicameral ‘legislature’. The State Council is akin to an upper house, with members appointed by the Sultan to assist with the implementation of the Government’s agenda. The Consultative Assembly (the ‘lower house’) is an advisory body of eighty-three elected members with limited legislative powers. Only non-partisans may be elected to the Consultative Assembly as the present Sultan has disallowed political parties.
At both presentations The Queen was joined by Sir Peter Ricketts K.C.M.G., the Permanent Undersecretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the seniormost civil servant in the United Kingdom for foreign affairs and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Appointment of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
After having received the high commissioner and ambassador, Her Majesty also met one of the newest Canadian representatives of The Crown, His Honour The Honourable Philip Lee C.M., O.M., Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. Also in attendance was Her Honour Ms. Anita Lee. The present Lieutenant Governor was appointed on the advice of The Right Honourable Stephen Harper P.C., M.P. (Calgary Southwest), the Prime Minister of Canada. Before the appointment as Lieutenant Governor, His Honour had run for election to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba representing the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (and lost).