Vetting of Uhuru’s PSs' and envoy nominees to start today

National Assembly Committee on Appointment Chairman Justin Muturi (R) with Clerk Michael Sialai (2nd R) consult committee members during the vetting of Cabinet on 08/02/18. [Photo: Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Committees of the National Assembly are today expected to vet President Uhuru Kenyatta’s principal secretary nominees.

National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai said the grilling of those nominated for ambassadorial positions will also start today.

The names of the seven PS nominees and eight ambassador nominees have been forwarded to the respective departmental committees for consideration.

The teams are expected to conclude the process and table their reports in the House on or before February 27.

"We have put in place all the necessary arrangements for the vetting and public hearings on the appointments. Committee chairpersons have indicated to me they are ready to discharge their mandate,” said Mr Sialai.

The PS nominees include Nelson Marwa (Devolution), Safina Kwekwe (Gender), Gordon Kihalangwa (Immigration, Border Control and Registration of Persons), and Macharia Kamau (Foreign Affairs).

Others are Julius Muia (Planning), Hamadi Boga (Agriculture), Peter Tum (Health, and Joseph Irungu (Water and Sanitation).

The schedule Sialai released shows Marwa and Muia will be vetted by the Finance Committee, while Major General (Rtd) Kihalangwa and Ms Kwekwe will be grilled by the Administration and Labour committees.

Boga, Tum, and Joseph will appear before the Agriculture, Health, and Environment committees respectively.

In the recent Cabinet reshuffle, President Kenyatta retained 12 of the 19 men and women he worked with during his first term. All the former CSs who were not retained were redeployed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as high commissioners and ambassadors

Former CSs who were nominated as ambassadors include Dan Kazungu (Tanzania), Phylis Kandie (Belgium and the European Union), Judi Wakhungu (France), and Cleopha Mailu (Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN Geneva). 

The four will appear before the Defence and Foreign Affairs team today.

Willy Bett (India), Jacob Kaimenyi (Kenya’s representative to UNESCO), Hassan Wario (Austria), and outgoing State House Comptroller Lawrence Lenayapa (Netherlands) will be vetted tomorrow.