By Nyaboga Kiage

Haile Menkerios, the Eritrean diplomat allegedly conned out of Ksh300 million by Kenyan politician Francis Mureithi, has served in different senior positions in the United Nations.

Menkerios was allegedly swindled out of the money by Mureithi between April and November 2016.

The DCI say Mureithi obtained the Ksh300 million from Menkerios under the pretext that he (Mureithi) could help the diplomat secure a food supply tender at the Department of Defence (DoD).

Mureithi was arrested Tuesday after Menkerios lodged a complaint.

Who is Menkerios?

The 74-year-old Eritrean diplomat-cum-businessman has served in several positions in the UN. In 2013, he was appointed to the position of Head of United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) and as a Special Representative to the African Union.

Menkerios was assigned the tasks by Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 2007 to December 2016.

Before taking up the new roles, Menkerios served as the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan and South Sudan.

“He was the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs,” Wikipedia says in part.

Menkerios studied in the United States of America, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Brandeis University and a Master’s Degree in manpower development planning from Harvard University.

From 1991 to 2000, he served as Eritrea's Ambassador to Ethiopia and the Organization of African Unity.

In 2002, he played a key role in restoring normalcy in Congo when he was serving as a Senior Adviser to Moustapha Niasse, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue which led to the signing of the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement. This marked the end of Congolese Civil war.

He has also served as a diplomat in Madagascar and Zimbabwe.