H.E. Mr. Lindsay Kimwole Kiptiness, The Kenyan Ambassador to Thailand

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Thailand and Kenya have enjoyed cordial ties and close cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1967. Kenya opened its Embassy in Thailand in 2006 but had maintained an Honorary Consulate since 1992 and since then both countries have expanded cooperation in various sectors including trade and investment, health, agriculture, fisheries, amongst others.

 

Expat Life sat down with H.E. Mr. Lindsay Kimwole Kiptiness, the new Kenyan Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand with accreditation to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos PDR and Myanmar. Prior to his posting to Thailand in March 2021, Ambassador Kiptiness was the Director for Asia-Pacific Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and the Deputy Head of Mission at the Kenyan Embassies in Turkey, Sudan and Botswana.

 

Which city were you born and brought up?

I was born in a village called Kartur, deep in rural Kenya, 600km, Northwest of Nairobi, the capital city. I grew up in a rural setting where I went to school every morning and, in the afternoon, looked after my father’s livestock. During weekends, my siblings and I either worked on the family land or looked after the livestock. School life was tough, often running up the hill, 10km every day to and from school without shoes. As a polygamist, my father had two homesteads set over 50km apart and he would sometimes send my sister and I to trek through the forest teeming with dangerous animals to the second homestead to take care of the animals. At the age of 12, I moved to the city of Nairobi to stay with my elder brother and was forced to a repeat class four to improve my English, which was not very good, having come from a rural setting.

 

At which age did you decide you wanted to become a diplomat?

Deciding to be a diplomat is a recent development. Whilst growing up, I wanted to become a teacher or an army officer, luckily, I became my first choice – a teacher. I did not however teach for long as I switched to a District Officer when the opportunity arose in 1995. After 10 years, I wanted a change to a more challenging environment where I could use my deep knowledge about the local environment to promote Kenya’s interests abroad, hence the decision to transfer my services to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In Kenya, you do not just join diplomatic service like any other public service, you must undergo a one year Post Graduate Diploma course in Diplomacy and International studies at the University of Nairobi as a precondition, which I did 2005. I have also attained a Master’s Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies in Turkey and a diploma in National Security and Defence Studies at the National Defence College of Kenya. I am currently writing a project for my second Master’s degree in International Studies, at the University of Nairobi and have done various diplomatic courses in the USA, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Turkey and Sudan. I have visited over 30 countries in the course of my diplomatic service. I have served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including as Director for Horn of Africa Division, where I handled the Sudan and Somali peace processes, been a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Personal Assistant to the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs amongst many other assignments at HQ.

 

Do you have any other diplomats in your family?

No, we have no other diplomats in the family, I am the first to join the Diplomatic service, but I will certainly not be the last, I already have two of my boys and other extended family members who want to follow in my footsteps to become a member of the Kenya diplomatic service.

 

How do you see Thailand today, in ASEAN, and in a wider context?

Thailand is an important and influential member of the ASEAN alliance and has a major role to play in the search for peace and stability in neighbouring Myanmar and the region in general. Other than the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand has a strong economy, driven by a broad manufacturing base, and tourism mostly for the export market, hence is a powerful regional economy. Through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Thailand has supported development cooperation not only with its neighbours but further afield in Africa and the Middle East and Kenya is a beneficiary of TICA’s capacity building programmes.

 

Due to its healthcare system, Thailand has become an affordable international medical hub and many patients come from all over the world for treatment of various ailments including cancer. In terms of managing Covid-19, especially the vaccination, the government of Thailand is doing a commendable job; imagine inoculating over 40 million people, more than half of the population despite all the challenges. Thailand is an important contributor to the maintenance of international peace and security and Kenya and Thailand have cooperated on many international issues of mutual interest.

 

Do you see any similarities between your country and Thailand?

Definitely, and tourism comes to mind. The pristine sandy beaches, common in both countries, have attracted millions of tourists from around the globe. Other similarities include, common environmental challenges and conservation credentials, tropical agriculture that includes the growing of sweet tropical fruits like mangoes, avocado and bananas. And traditional foods like sweet potatoes, cassava, melons amongst others are also common. A strong regional infrastructure, financial and communication hubs among other similarities. Both countries are influential members of regional organisations like ASEAN (for Thailand), and the East African Community (for Kenya), and subscribe to the ideals of South-South cooperation. I take this opportunity to invite and encourage Thai citizens and the huge expatriate community in Thailand to visit Kenya for a change of their holiday destination and experience the original home of the African safari. I assure them that they will not be disappointed. Witnessing the great Wildebeest migration and sand and sun bathing in the pristine and clean sandy beaches of coastal Kenya is truly unforgettable lifetime experience.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/interview/h-e-mr-lindsay-kimwole-kiptiness-the-kenyan-ambassador-to-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand 2022-01-13

 

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