Kalonzo party and gender commission express disappointment over Monica Juma's rejection

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka(right)nominated senator Judith Sijeny (centre)and MP of the East African Legislative Assembly Peter Mathuki addressing the press at the party’s headquarters, they claimed the rejection of Monica Juma was a move to deny some communities positions in the government [PHOTO: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/STANDARD]

 

NAIROBI: The Wiper Democratic Movement and the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) have expressed disappointment over the rejection of Presidential nominee Dr Monica Juma by the National Assembly.

 

Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka said the president's nominee to the post of Secretary to the Cabinet was driven by malice and selfish interest.

"The Kenya National Assembly Committee on security and administration report on nomination of Ambassador Juma was disturbing and blatantly driven by malice. The report was tailored to cause embarrassment and portray her as incompetent yet she is one of the most qualified in the Jubilee government," said Kalonzo.

In a news conference in Nairobi, the party leader said Juma was an able ambassador to the African Union Commission and Ethiopia before joining the Jubilee government.

"In that capacity she demonstrated high level of diplomacy and professional competence. She was able to mobilize Africa to support Kenya's request for deferral of ICC cases and this is how she earned her recognition in the current government," added Kalonzo.

Recently, the Interior Principal Secretary got a rude shock after the Committee on Administration and National Security that vetted her for the job of Secretary to the Cabinet rejected her nomination.

MP's were furious that during her tenure at the Ministry of Interior she had sought to bar them from accessing her office to seek irregular under-the-table favours from her docket.

The MPs voted to support a report by the committee that vetted Dr Juma, and recommended that she was unsuitable for the top seat whose holder sits in the Cabinet. The decision by parliament sparked uproar as Kenyans took to the social media to criticize the MPs over the move..

Kalonzo said: "The Jubilee government is seemingly in the mood of putting user friendly individuals in positions of influence as part of their overall strategy towards 2017 elections. The committees report was clearly manipulated and since she was vetted, we will wait to see if she will be reinstated as Principal Secretary."

Meanwhile, NGEC Chairperson Winfred Lichuma in a statement attributed Amb. Juma's rejection by the male dominated parliament to "overbearing patriarchy laced with a huge dose of malice".

Lichuma said that while the Commission respected the independence of parliament and appreciates the fact that it has no role in vetting of nominees to public offices, it found the reasons advanced to reject Amb. Juma extremely discomforting.

"We hold that Ambassador Dr Monica Juma represents a critical constituency of the people of Kenya and is thoroughly competent and suitable to serve as Secretary to the Cabinet. Her rejection therefore sends a perilous signal that women of her stature and calibre are a threat to the status quo by virtue of their gender" said Lichuma.

The Commission urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to re-submit her name for re vetting.