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Ruto's Goma nominee rejected, MPs to debate report Wednesday

By Mwangi Maina | Tuesday, April 16, 2024

The report was presented on Tuesday afternoon by the Nelson Koech-led committee and will be debated officially by the house on Wednesday.

The Kenyan Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations has dismissed the nomination of Charles Githinji Keiru as the Kenyan Consul General to Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, citing insufficient experience and skills.

The Eastleigh Voice has obtained the report that was presented to Parliament on Tuesday afternoon by the Nelson Koech-led committee and will be debated officially by the house on Wednesday.

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“The nominee for Consul-General to Goma, DRC, Charles Githinji Keiru, demonstrated a considerable lack of knowledge of the expected duties of a Consul-General and the station to which he had been nominated to serve. The Committee found that the nominee is not suitable to be appointed to serve as Consul-General to Goma, DRC, on the grounds that he does not possess the requisite qualities, abilities, knowledge and experience,” read the report.

The nominee faced the vetting panel on Thursday last week, where he presented his Form Four KCSE certificate and a leaving certificate

During questioning, Keiru mistakenly claimed that Malawi shares a border with the DRC.

Asked about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Keiru mumbled, defining it as the population of the country.

"...The current population under... the escalation of the population..." he said, revealing a gap in his grasp of the matter.

Leaving everyone bewildered, he added: "I will go back to the Foreign Service Academy (FSA) to learn more about this job."

Charles Githinji Keiru who had been nominated as the Kenyan Consul General to Goma. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

Githinji also left the committee scratching their heads after revealing that his only academic qualification was the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), in which he scored a D grade and an E in mathematics.

Kamukunji MP and member of the committee, Yusuf Hassan, was further stumped on how Githinji even ended up on the nomination list given that his only job experience was "running a petrol station."

"The only job experience you have is running a petrol station and you have been nominated to a very senior diplomatic position. I don't even know how you ended up on the nomination list," Yusuf said.

"How will you be able to carry out these diplomatic responsibilities given your own limitations in terms of education and experience?" Posed Yusuf.

Keiru also told the committee chair that he had not furthered his education since leaving high school but his papers indicated that he had acquired a Certificate in Business Management and had done driving too.

He did not, however, attach any of the extra academic papers to his Curriculum Vitae (CV).

It's noteworthy, however, that in Kenya, a degree or diploma is not mandatory for an ambassadorial role.

Committee chair Nelson Koech expressed disappointment with Keiru, saying he did not approach the role seriously and neglected basic research.

"It is very disappointing that given an opportunity to come before this committee, you did absolutely nothing, from filling out the documentation to responding to questions from honourable members, and it is becoming extremely devastating to interview you," said Belgut MP Nelson Koech.