NAIROBI -President William Ruto on Friday made 43 diplomatic nominations and appointments in his second round of Foreign Service changes since he assumed power in September 2022.
Among the nominees and appointees are political rejects who had initially been nominated to the now-declared unconstitutional Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) post, retired military chiefs, relatives to political figures and a few career diplomats.
Women were the biggest winners, with at least 17 either being nominated or appointed for posting and two to the rank of ambassador to be stationed at MFA headquarters.
They are widow of the third Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru Catherine Kirumba Karemu , who has been nominated as High Commissioner to the UK, replacing Manoah Esipisu; former West Pokot Woman Rep Lilian Tomitom as High Commissioner in Lusaka, Zambia, to succeed Flora Karugu, while former LSK Vice President Caroline Kamende Daudi has been proposed as the High Commissioner, Ottawa, Canada.
Academician Anne Kisaka Nanguli has ben nominated to replace career diplomat Purity Muhindi in Dakar, Senegal,
Jessica Muthoni Gakinya, who at some point served in the Kenya Fisheries Board, has been nominated as Ambassador in Rabat, Morocco; former Jubilee nominated MP and Chairperson of the Board of Tourism Regulatory Authority Halima Yusuf Mucheke will be Ambassador in The Hague, Netherlands; former Kilifi chief officer Everylyne Mwenda Karisa Ambassador in Havana, Cuba, replacing Gathoga Chege; while lawyer Getrude N. Angote of the Kituo Cha Sheria will be Permanent Representative (UNEP)
Grace Atieno Okara will be deployed as Permanent Representative (UN Habitat), Fancy Too Ambassador/Permanent Representative (Geneva, Switzerland), former ANC nominated Senator Petronila Were – Deputy Head of Mission (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia); Rose Sumbeiywo – Deputy Head of Mission (Rome, Italy); Peris Kariuki – Deputy Head of Mission (Brasilia, Brazil); Saadia Salim – Deputy Head of Mission (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Raila’s sister Akinyi Walkowa Odinga– Deputy Head of Mission (Los Angeles, USA)
Beatrice Nyaboke Ombachi Karago was appointed to rank of ambassador to be stationed at MFA as Director – Americas and Caribbean), as did Jane Makori, who will be Deputy Director – Asia and the Pacific.
POLITICAL REJECTS
Among those who had been named as CASs on the list include former Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi, who was to be CAS (deputy minister) in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Maangi, a lawyer by profession, has been nominated to be Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda.
Former West Mugirango MP Vincent Kemosi was nominated as High Commissioner in Accra, Ghana, while former Kisumu Senator Fred Outa will be deployed as Ambassador in Cairo, Egypt.
Kemosi was to be Trade and Industry CAS, while Outa was to assist CS Salim Mvurya in the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs in the same capacity.
Former Baringo speaker David Kiplagat Kerich, who was also to be CAS as Mining and Blue Economy, has been proposed to replace long-serving career diplomat Lazarus Amayo in Washington, US.
Former Kericho Senator Christopher Langát has been nominated as ambassador in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, while ex-Mandera Senator Aden Mohamud Mohamed has been proposed as Kenya’s Consul-General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Top military chiefs who retired on Friday were also posted, a traditional practice for debrief for senior military and security officers.
Former vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen (Rtd) Jonah Mwangi was nominated as Kenya’s Ambassador to Iran, while ex-Kenya Army commander Lt Gen (Rtd) Peter Njiru has been proposed as High Commissioner to Pakistan.
CHILOBA, MATHUKI
A surprise inclusion is discredited Electoral Commission CEO and later Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Ezra Chiloba, who has been appointed Consul-General, Los Angeles, US, replacing Uhuru Kenyatta’s appointee Thomas Kwaka aka Big Ted.
Chiloba was fired from the IEBC over gross misconduct, and was pushed out of CA over his alleged abuse of office and misuse of funds in the communication sector regulator’s Sh662.4 million mortgage scheme.
An interesting change was that of Dr Peter Mathuki, who has been recalled from his powerful and influential position of East African Community Secretary General and nominated as ambassador to Russia before the end of his fiver year term. It was set to end in 2026, having been appointed in 2021.
Details of the reasons for his recall were not clear, although DiploBrief understands there was dissatisfaction about him among EALA legislators.
In his place, Kenya has nominated international civil servant Caroline Mwende Mueke within the provisions of Article 67 of the EAC treaty.
Article 67 (1) provides that: The Secretary General shall be appointed by the Summit upon nomination by the relevant Head of State under the principle of rotation.
Another notable change is the nomination of former Turkana speaker Erasts Lokaale to replace Dr Martin Kimani in New York as PR, United Nations.
Timothy Mcharo has been nominated as Kenya envoy to Algiers, while Amb Moi Lemoshira, a long-serving diplomat and Director General Foreign Service, Political and Diplomatic Affairs, moves to Tokyo as Ambassador to replace his colleague Tabu Irina, who was moved to Dublin last year.
Kenneth Milimo Nganga wil be ambassador to the UAE and politician Abdi Aden Korio, envoy to Oman.
