This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
On July 17, 2020, a heated exchange between US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter and Kenyan-Canadian lawyer Miguna Miguna unfolded on Twitter, leaving many with mixed reactions.
The controversy began when Ambassador McCarter published a video encouraging American tourists to visit Kenya following the lifting of international travel restrictions.
However, Miguna Miguna, who has been deported from Kenya twice, interpreted the video as a reflection of the US envoy's perceived disregard for African lives, sparking a sharp response.
"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," Miguna Miguna tweeted.
Seemingly taken aback by the lawyer's response, Ambassador McCarter dropped his diplomatic tone, replying with sarcasm, reminding Miguna Miguna that he was free to visit his homeland, a country from which he has been deported twice.
It is worth noting that Miguna Miguna has been fighting to regain his Kenyan citizenship, a right he claims has been violated by the government, which confiscated his passport.
Miguna Miguna's deportation was a result of his involvement in the mock swearing-in of National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga in January 2018, during the height of post-election tensions.
