No thanks: Former CS Nyambura declines Ruto nomination as High Commissioner to Ghana

Former ICT Cabinet Secretary Margret Nyambura has declined President William Ruto's nomination as the new High Commissioner to Ghana. She was to be among four other ambassadorial nominees who were to be vetted by a parliamentary committee on Friday January 10.

Ms Nyambura wrote to the National Assembly's Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs declining to appear for vetting. She cited personal and pressing family matters as the reason for declining the nomination.

Committee chairman and Belgut MP Nelson Koech said Ms Nyambura is the second nominee to decline a posting to Ghana as the country's high commissioner. This is after former West Mugirango MP, Vincent Kemose, declined to take up President Ruto's nomination.

Mr Koech called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Head of the Civil Service to conduct due diligence before nominating individuals for appointment as envoys.

Others vetted

The committee vetted former Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Youth and the Arts Ababu Namwamba who has been nominated for appointment as ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and United Nations Office in Nairobi (Unon).

It also vetted former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Dr Andrew Karanja for appointment as Kenya’s Ambassador to Brasilia, Brazil.

Former Deputy Inspector-General of Administration Police, Noor Gabow, was vetted for appointment as Kenya’s Consular-General to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Mr Gabow, who has been instrumental in the deployment of a Kenya-led United Nations-backed security mission to Haiti, said Kenya’s security personnel had managed to stabilise part of Haiti.

Mr Gabow was the first Kenyan to visit Haiti for reconnaissance before Kenya deployed 400 police officers to fight gangs in the Caribbean nation.

The mission is being led by Kenya, which deployed nearly 400 officers last year, far short of the 1,000 it had promised.