Members of Parliament have approved three of President William Ruto's diplomatic nominees, paving the way for their formal appointment. The approved nominees include Ababu Namwamba as Kenya's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Andrew Karanja as Ambassador to Brasilia-Brazil, and Noor Gabow as Consul-General to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. While supporting the appointments, Minority Leader Junet Mohammed criticised the government for frequently "recycling" public servants instead of prioritising qualified Kenyans outside the public service. "I want competent Kenyans to get these positions.
Foreign Affairs is about diplomatic relations, not just appointing a former Cabinet Secretary who was even sacked," Junet said. He also questioned the practice of nominating individuals without confirming their willingness to serve, referencing previous nominees who had declined their appointments, in the case of former ICT CS Margaret Nyambura. "Before sending a name to the House for approval, why not confirm if the nominee is interested in the job?" he posed.
Due Diligence Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations, Nelson Koech, criticised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Head of Public Service for failing to conduct due diligence on nominees. "We have competent officers stagnating at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eager to serve this country abroad.
Let's not embarrass the President by nominating individuals who decline the appointments.
