NAIROBI, Kenya — The German ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, has gifted Kenyan gardener Hesbon Imbwaka with chickens, a month after a viral joke in which the diplomat suggested the long-serving worker would receive a BMW and a Mercedes-Benz as a retirement gift.
In a statement shared on his X page on Friday, August 29, Groth confirmed that it was Hesbon’s final day at the embassy.
As his send-off, the envoy presented him with five chickens and a sack of chicken feed. According to Groth, Imbwaka had chosen the poultry to launch a new venture in poultry farming.
“Hey guys – I noticed that you followed the retirement of our chief gardener, Hesbon, with big interest. Today was his very last day. Wanted to hand him over the 68 machines. He opted for some kuku instead to start off a poultry farm. “That’s the real Luhya-spirit,” he wrote on X.
The retirement send-off comes after Groth’s earlier post that had garnered significant online attention. On August 1, the ambassador had taken to X to announce Imbwaka’s impending retirement and to congratulate him on his excellent service over 34 years at the embassy.
The post generated a wave of interest from netizens, who inquired about the embassy’s plans for an elaborate send-off.
Groth responded with a lighthearted joke, stating that Imbwaka would receive one Mercedes and one BMW for every year of his service.
“He’ll get 1 Mercedes and 1 BMW for every year in service. His very last day as a gardener is the end of August—so we still have some time to think about something nice. But thanks for asking,” he wrote on X.
Groth also mentioned that they were considering a “dignified” send-off for the worker ahead of his retirement at the end of August, which, as the recent development shows, turned out to be the chickens.
