Premium
All eyes on Mwende Mwinzi as MPs approve envoy nominees
Mwende Mwinzi during her vetting by the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations for the position of Kenya's ambassador to Seoul, South Korea, May 28, 2019. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The seven Mwende Mwinzi (Seoul, South Korea), Kariuki Mugwe (Abu Dhabi), Peter Angore (Algiers, Algeria), Flora Karugu (Lusaka, Zambia), Michael Mubea (Dublin- Ireland), Diana Kiambuthi (Stockholm, Sweden) and Njambi Kinyungu (Un-Habitat).
- The nomination of Ms Mwinzi, who has dual citizenship (Kenya and US), drew the most attention while the other nominees sailed through without being mentioned by members.
- The report by the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, that was tabled in the House on Tuesday, recommended that Ms Mwinzi choose between her US citizenship and the Kenyan job.
- Envoys fall in the category of public officers, whom article 52 of the Act also categorises as state officers. The law says they must not hold dual citizenship.
A heated debate in the National Assembly on Thursday culminated in the approval of seven individuals nominated as ambassadors, paving the way for their formal appointment by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
They are Mwende Mwinzi (Seoul, South Korea), Kariuki Mugwe (Abu Dhabi), Peter Angore (Algiers, Algeria), Flora Karugu (Lusaka, Zambia), Michael Mubea (Dublin- Ireland), Diana Kiambuthi (Stockholm, Sweden) and Njambi Kinyungu (Un-Habitat).
