Parliament Buildings in Nairobi County in this picture taken on August 8, 2024.
President William Ruto's new Cabinet nominees will face parliamentary scrutiny on January 14 in a week that will determine whether or not they join the broad-based government.
However, the confirmation hearing for the three Cabinet nominees will come four days after the vetting of nominees for various state positions including High Commissioners, ambassadors and diplomatic representatives.
The development comes as members of the public have been given until January 3 to submit memoranda with evidence challenging the suitability of any of the nominees to hold the office for which they have been nominated.
The vetting will begin on January 9 with eight nominees to the Public Service Commission (PSC) facing the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations in a marathon nine-hour exercise.
In a communication by National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge on Tuesday, Mutahi Kagwe (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development), Lee Kinyanjui (Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry) and William Kabogo (Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy) will appear before the Committee on Appointments chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
Mr Kagwe will open the vetting exercise at noon followed by Mr Kabogo before the committee concludes the exercise with Mr Kinyanjui.
On Saturday, Speaker Wetang'ula recalled three committees to commence vetting of the nominees after President Ruto on Friday last week notified the speaker of the nomination of persons for appointment.
Thereafter, Mr Wetang’ula conveyed the message to members of the House and referred the names and curriculum vitae of the nominees to the three committees for consideration and reporting to the House on January 15, 2025.
The three committees include the Committee on Appointments; the departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations; and the Departmental Committee on Labour.
Standing Order 42(2) of the National Assembly requires that, whenever a message is received from the President at a time when the House is not in Session, the Speaker shall forthwith cause the message to be transmitted to every Member and shall report the Message to the House when it next sits.
“It is notified to the general public that pursuant to Article 118(1)(b) of the Constitution and section 6(4) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act (Cap. 7F), the Committees shall conduct approval hearings (vetting) of the nominees on the dates, time and at the venues indicated in the schedule below,” said Mr Njoroge.
Mr Kagwe is set to replace Lawrence Karanja who has been nominated for appointment as ambassador to Brazil while Mr Kabogo is set to take over from Ms Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u who has been nominated for appointment as High Commissioner to Ghana.
On the other hand, Mr Kinyanjui will replace Salim Mvurya who has been moved to the Sports docket to replace Kipchumba Murkomen (now Interior and National Coordination CS).
Mr Karanja, Ms Ndung’u, former Sports minister Ababu Namwamba (permanent representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)), and ex-deputy Inspector-General Noor Gabow (consul-general to Port-au-Prince, Haiti) will face the Narok West Gabriel Tongoyo-led Defence committee.
Ms Ndung’u will open the exercise at 9 am followed by Mr Karanja at 11 am with Mr Namwamba appearing before the committee at 2 pm with Ms Gabow closing the day.
However, it will be a marathon day for the Runyenjes MP Erick Muchangi-led Labour committee which will vet up to eight nominees to the PSC starting 8.30 am to late in the day.
Ms Mary Wanjira Kimonye has been nominated as the vice-chairperson of the PSC while Harun Maalim Hassan, Mwanamaka Amani Mabruki, Francis Meja, Dr Irene Cherotich Asienga, Boya Molu, Joan Andisi Machayo, and Dr Francis Otieno Owino as PSC members.
“The Committees are required to commence the necessary vetting processes as contemplated under the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act and upon conclusion of the approval hearings, submit respective reports by close of business on January 15, 2025,” said Speaker Wetang'ula.
The House earlier this month adjourned for recess and will resume
in February next year.
However, the speaker said that notwithstanding the suspension of committee activities, the three committees have been permitted to hold sittings during the recess period for purposes of considering the nominees.
“At an appropriate time, I will notify all honourable members of the date and time of the convening of special sittings of the House for purposes of considering the reports of the respective committees on the vetting exercise,” he said.
