National Assembly sets date for vetting of Ruto's new cabinet, diplomatic nominees

The National Assembly has set dates for the vetting of President William Ruto's nominated state officers, including three Cabinet Secretaries.

All approval hearings will take place from January 9 to January 14, 2025, at County Hall, Parliament Buildings as announced by Samuel Njoroge, Clerk of the National Assembly.

"This is a critical step in ensuring that those nominated to serve in key government positions meet the standards required by the Constitution and the public," he said in a notice on Tuesday.

The Committee on Appointments, alongside the Departmental Committees on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, and Labour, will conduct the vetting process for the nominees.

The nominees span several key government positions, including Cabinet Secretaries, ambassadors, and members of the Public Service Commission.

The Departmental Committee on Labour will oversee the approval hearings for the Public Service Commission nominees, starting on January 9, 2024.

The nominees include Mary Wanjira Kimonye, who has been put forward for the position of Vice-Chairperson. The list of candidates for membership positions comprises Harun Maalim Hassan, Mwanamaka Amani Mabruki and Boya Molu who is an Ex- IEBC Commissioner.

Mutahi Kagwe who has been nominated for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, William Kabogo (Information for the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy) and Lee Kinyanjui (Trade) will face the committee on Appointments on January 14, 2024.

The committee is chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and has some members of house leadership from both the Majority and Minority sides.

Ambassadorial nominees

In addition to the CS, the vetting will also include the nominees for key ambassadorial positions which will take place on January 10, 2024. Notable among them former ICT Cabinet Secretary Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u was nominated as the High Commissioner in Accra, Ghana.

Others include ex-Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja who has been nominated as the Ambassador in Brasilia, Brazil, former ICT CS Ababu Namwamba, who has been nominated as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) while Noor Gabow, CBS will be the Consul-General in Port-au-Prince, Haiti if approved by the MPs.

The public has been invited to submit written statements or evidence contesting the suitability of any nominee.

"We encourage the public to actively participate by submitting their views or concerns regarding the nominations," reads the notice.

"These submissions will be considered in the vetting process, which is essential for ensuring that the right leaders are appointed," it read further.

The deadline for public submissions is January 3, 2025, by 5 pm.

All memoranda should be submitted via email, mail, or hand-delivery to the Office of the Clerk at Parliament Buildings.

All nominees are required to appear for the hearings with their original identity documents, academic certificates, and certificates of compliance from institutions such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kenya Revenue Authority, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

This vetting exercise is in line with constitutional provisions that empower the President to nominate, with the approval of the National Assembly, Cabinet Secretaries, ambassadors, and members of various commissions.