Kenya’s proposed reforms to diplomatic appointments risk creating new ambiguities unless Parliament clarifies how career diplomats and political appointees will be classified, measured and subjected to scrutiny, the International Relations Society of Kenya has warned.
The professional body wants Parliament to address weaknesses in the Foreign Service (Amendment) Bill, 2026, arguing that its proposed 70:30 career-to-non-career framework could produce unintended outcomes unless key provisions are tightened.
Presenting its submissions to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations on Tuesday, IRSK backed the objective of professionalising Kenya’s diplomatic service but cautioned against relying on numerical targets without clear implementation rules.
“The 70:30 formula is ambiguous,” the Society told the committee, warning that the Bill’s use of the phrase “not more than” for both categories could effectively allow career diplomats to account for less than the intended 70 per cent.
IRSK wants the legislation to expressly establish at least 70 per cent career diplomats and no more than 30 per cent non-career appointees.
It has also called for clarity on how the ratio will be calculated, including the positions covered, the measurement date and how vacancies and acting appointments will be treated.
The proposed ten-year service requirement for career diplomatic appointments is another area the Society wants Parliament to address.
The Bill does not clearly establish whether the required experience must be continuous or cumulative, or whether authorised deployments, secondments and other assignments should count towards the threshold.
IRSK argues that the requirement should recognise relevant assignments while ensuring that experience is assessed alongside professional competence.
“Length of service alone does not establish the ability to lead a mission or deliver foreign policy objectives,” the Society told MPs.
The organisation also wants the Bill to define a non-career diplomat, arguing that Kenya should retain the flexibility to recruit specialised expertise from outside the traditional diplomatic establishment.
Such expertise could be particularly valuable in international law, trade, investment, security, economic policy, technology and multilateral diplomacy.
However, the Society cautioned that external appointments must be based on demonstrable expertise, experience, integrity and suitability.
It argued that non-career appointments should neither be treated as inherently unsuitable nor used as a proxy for political patronage.
The proposed framework must also comply with constitutional requirements governing public appointments, including national values, equality, inclusion and integrity.
IRSK cited Articles 10, 27 and 232 of the Constitution, alongside Article 73, which sets standards of integrity, competence and suitability for the exercise of State authority.
It wants nominees assessed against objective criteria, including qualifications, professional reputation, relevant experience and their ability to discharge the responsibilities of the office.
The Society has further called for measurable diversity standards, proposing that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintain disaggregated appointment records covering gender, regional representation and persons with disabilities.
Another concern is how the legislation will interact with the constitutional powers of the President and Parliament in appointing diplomatic representatives.
Citing Article 132(2)(e), IRSK argued that the Bill should provide guidance on appointments without transferring or extinguishing the respective constitutional responsibilities of the two institutions.
It wants parliamentary approval to remain meaningful, supported by clear criteria for examining the integrity, competence, suitability and experience of nominees.
To strengthen oversight, the organisation has proposed annual reporting by the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs on diplomatic appointments, the career-to-non-career balance, diversity and compliance with the law.
Any departure from the prescribed ratio should be justified in writing on grounds of national interest and constitutional consistency, with the reasons disclosed to Parliament.
The Bill should also provide transitional arrangements to protect existing lawful appointments from automatic termination and allow progressive compliance within a defined period.
Beyond changes to the legislation, IRSK says Kenya must invest in developing a sustainable pipeline of professional diplomats through training, career development and succession planning.
It has called for stronger investment in the Foreign Service Academy, particularly in leadership, negotiation, economic diplomacy, foreign policy research, language proficiency and performance assessment.
In its closing submission, the Society cautioned MPs against assuming that changing the composition of diplomatic appointments would automatically improve the quality of foreign representation.
“A numerical ratio cannot create a professional diplomatic service by itself,” it said.
It added that the objective should be to combine institutional experience with specialised expertise while ensuring constitutional safeguards and parliamentary accountability.
“This is not an argument against reform. It is a case for precise, constitutional legislation demanding professional standards,” IRSK told the committee.
The Society urged Parliament to retain the Bill’s overall policy direction while incorporating the proposed amendments before enactment.
The officials said the submissions were presented in IRSK’s institutional and non-partisan capacity and do not represent the positions of government departments, universities or other organisations with which individual members may be affiliated.
