Smith Hempstone was a champion of democracy. He worked as a foreign correspondent in Africa, Latin America and Europe before becoming editor-in-chief of The Washington Times. Appointed ambassador to Kenya in 1989, Smith advocated vocally for a free vote at a time when opposition parties were banned in Kenya. His encouragement of opposition parties and continued push for multiparty elections earned his efforts the reputation of “bulldozer diplomacy” in the Nairobi press. He later wrote in his Rogue Ambassador: An African Memoir (1997) about that press criticism, the pushback from Daniel arap Moi’s government, and two attempts on his life. Kenya finally did host a multiparty election in 1992, shortly before the end of Smith’s tenure as ambassador.
In addition to his Nairobi memoir, Smith authored several books including Africa, Angry Young Giant, Rebels, Mercenaries and Dividends, A Tract of Time and In the Midst of Lions.