UPDATE Monday, April 4: President Uhuru Kenyatta has mourned the death of Kenya's Ambassador to Qatar Patrick Paddy Ahenda who passed away while hospitalised in Doha.
The Head of State eulogised the envoy as a dedicated and committed diplomat who was keen on deepening Kenya’s relations with Qatar and the Arab world.
“We have lost one of Kenya's most devoted diplomats who was keen on strengthening our relations with not only Qatar but the entire Arab world for the benefit of our people. I note with appreciation the work of Amb Ahenda. During his tenure as our envoy in Doha, he facilitated the significant rise in the number of Kenyans working in different fields in Qatar from 25,000 to over 30,000.
“Amb Ahenda similarly ensured increased trade flows between the two nations with Kenya’s exports to Qatar growing to over Shs 9 billion annually. In addition, Amb Ahenda helped attract a growing number of Qatari investors into Kenya who invested in real estate, manufacturing and other sectors of our economy,” stated Uhuru.
Kenya's Ambassador to Qatar Patrick Paddy Ahenda is dead.
Confirming his demise on Monday, April 4, his family noted that the ambassador passed away while receiving treatment at a hospital in Doha, Qatar.
He had suffered a stroke when he was taken ill.
Prior to his appointment to Qatar, Ahenda had served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kabondo Kasipul between 2005 and 2007 after the death of his predecessor Peter Owidi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Ahenda to serve as the head of the High Commission in Qatar in October 2018 following a rigorous vetting process in Parliament.
When he appeared before the panel in August 2018, several issues arose regarding his qualifications with some quarters claiming that he did not have requisite academic qualifications.
The politician, at the time, however, maintained that he had vast experience as a sales manager and was well poised to handle the duties of the office.
His appointment was later a subject of discussion after reports emerged that Qatar had rejected the envoy, a claim that Doha denied.
“The Embassy requests that the respected newspaper and all the other online news platform that carried the above mentioned unverified news, to carry out their due diligence and to confirm their stories before publishing,” responded the embassy at the time.
Ahenda's demise comes barely two months after the death of Kenya's High Commissioner to Nigeria Dr. Wilfred Machage.
The former Migori Senator and who also served as an Assistant Minister passed away in Nigeria in mid-February aged 65 years.
He died after having lunch and the family was distraught as he was in good health.
