Uhuru envoys, principal secretaries sail through vetting

President Uhuru Kenyatta's nominees for principal secretary and ambassadorial positions easily sailed the National Assembly approval process.

This now paves the way for their formal appointment.

Also endorsed by the House are Patrick Gichohi, Olive Mugenda and former Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei, who the president nominated as commissioners with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

There was no opposition as respective departmental committee chairmen moved their reports, all recommending the approval of the various candidates.

Legislators unanimously agreed with the recommendations, in most cases without even MPs debating the reports.

“We have satisfied ourselves that the nominees have the requisite capabilities to handle the dockets for which they have been nominated.

"The only thing we will request is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take them through some training since some of them do not have any grounding on matters of diplomacy,” said Saku MP Col (Rtd) Dido Raso, while seconding the approval for the ambassadorial nominees.

The parliamentary nod makes way for those vetted as PSs to be sworn into office, while the ambassadorial nominees, all of who were in Uhuru’s first Cabinet, will now head out to their new diplomatic postings.

Former CSs headed to represent Kenya abroad include Jacob Kaimenyi (Unesco), Cleopa Mailu (UN in Geneva), Judy Wakhungu (France), Dan Kazungu (Tanzania), Phylis Kandie (Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union), Willy Bett (India), Hassan Wario (Austria) and outgoing State House Comptroller Lawrence Lenayapa (Netherlands)