In Iain Banks’ satirical novel The Business, a shadowy, cartoonishly powerful global corporation is trying to buy a fictional Himalayan state – in order to gain a seat at the UN, and coveted diplomatic passports. Imagine my reaction when, halfway through reading it, I saw the news that Kenya had granted the Gates Foundation diplomatic immunity and associated privileges.
Whilst it doesn’t sit in the UN Assembly, the Foundation is a major donor to international bodies. It has been accused of pushing a patent system which continues to inflate the Microsoft-derived fortune of founder Bill Gates – a billionaire who is the largest private landowner in the United States.
