German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth on Friday, August 1, bid farewell to Hesbon Imbwaka, a Kenyan gardener who is retiring after serving for 34 years.
In a social media post, the diplomat shared a photo of himself with the long-serving gardener holding a certificate.
“Today, we bid farewell to Bwana Hesbon Imbwaka as he retires after 34 years of outstanding service at the German Embassy in Nairobi. Goodbye until we meet again!” Amb. Groth noted in a statement.
In the post, Ambassador Groth revealed that Imbwaka’s official last day as a gardener will be at the end of August 2025.
His post attracted mixed reactions from Kenyans on the X platform, with most comments making suggestions of treats the German Embassy should offer Imbwaka.
In one of the comments, user Marc Abrahams asked, “Is the certificate the only thing you have farewelled him with?”
Groth then responded, noting that the retiree would get “1 Mercedes and 1 BMW for every year in service”.
His reply sparked more reactions as users found the humour in the diplomat’s statement.
In a subsequent statement, the Ambassador stated that there is still room to consider additional send-off gifts and expressions of appreciation.
“His very last day as a gardener is end of August – so we still have some time to think about something nice,” Sebastian added.
Kenyans Congratulate Bwana Hesbon
Kenyans have congratulated Hesbon for his dedicated service, while some have also suggested additional gifts, including the possibility of Bwana traveling to Germany.
An X user, @StartupwithTrey, commented:
“34 years — that is astounding job security. In this day and age, such stability is equivalent to finding a unicor .Congratulations to Hesbon; the pension must be great.”
Crystal Gardens Landscape & Gardening Services praised Hesbon as a knowledgeable plantsman.
“A knowledgeable plantsman. No wonder the garden at the German Embassy is top notch. Congratulations Hesbon,” read the comment.
Additionally, Gabriel Maunda on X praised Hesbon’s 34 years of loyalty, dedication, and service, calling it a great employer-employee relationship, and humorously hoped that Hesbon now has a German (Deutschland) passport.
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Twist As Kenyan Ask for Jobs
A twist unfolded as other Kenyans, inspired by Hesbon’s long service, began requesting job opportunities at the German Embassy.
An X user bt the name Thuraa (@Ianohuncho) humorously asked if the embassy needs a Gen Z gardener to replace Hesbon, adding, “My CV is quite heavy, bwana ambassador.”
At the same time, Rain Maker (@sifuna254) also expressed interest, saying, “Any vacant post, please feel free to reach me.”
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A photo of German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth PHOTO/ Sebastian Groth
