Ambassador to Kenya Critiques Host Country on Twitter

Washington’s ambassador to Kenya, home of President Obama’s father, is getting quite a reputation for being, well, undiplomatic. The reason: Michael Ranne­berger is using social media like Twitter to criticize his host country and the lack of democratic tendencies throughout Africa. Just consider his Twitter login, USAMB4REFORM. More than most other ambassadors, he pushes for democracy and national reforms. It could be dangerous. The State Department just issued a travel warning about Kenya, urging Americans to stay away from political events because “they can turn violent with no notice.” Ranne­berger’s tweets have been noticed back home. William Rugh, former ambassador to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, says, “To my amazement, he’s able to criticize the host government on Twitter. And he hasn’t been ‘PNG-ed,’ ” short for persona non grata.
 

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