Ex-CS Karanja eyes better ties with Brazil, timely communication as ambassador

Former Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Andrew Karanja, has vowed to improve communication between Kenya and Brazil if he is confirmed as the country's new ambassador to the Federal Republic of Brazil.

Karanja, who appeared before the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations on Friday for his vetting said that improving communication would be one of his top priorities, should parliament approve his appointment.

He stressed the need for open and timely communication to prevent the spread of misinformation.

"I promise this committee that I will do my best in terms of ensuring there is better communication between and from the mission in Brasília if I am approved," Karanja told MPs.

Acknowledging that communication challenges exist within various government departments, Karanja noted that it was crucial to address these issues immediately.

"I agree, Mr. Chair, and members, that in my new position, I'm wiser in terms of making sure that I become very careful in terms of communication," he said.

"I will make sure that I not only communicate, use all the means possible, but also communicate on time and clearly," Karanja added.

Challenges

During his tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Karanja highlighted the difficulties the ministry faced in delivering messages clearly to the public.

A notable example he gave was the confusion surrounding the government's livestock mass vaccination campaign, which the media had misrepresented despite the government's good intentions.

"For instance, the issue about the vaccination, despite the good intentions which the government has on vaccination, and there are good reasons as a Cabinet Secretary and my team tried to make sure that we communicate with the public, we were very surprised to hear that other things were being said about vaccination," Karanja remarked.

Karanja, who was recently dropped from President William Ruto's Cabinet, will become Kenya's Ambassador to Brazil if his nomination is approved by Parliament.

His appointment follows a Cabinet reshuffle that saw several officials reassigned. Among the new nominations is former Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, who has been nominated to head the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, taking over from Karanja.

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has also been nominated to lead the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, while former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui was nominated to head the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry.

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