Members of the National Assembly during a past sitting.
Career diplomats would win big if MPs approve a Bill that seeks to limit the appointment of political rejects and non-career diplomats as High Commissioners, Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to Kenyan missions abroad.
The Foreign Service (Amendment) Bill, 2026 seeks to provide for a higher percentage of the composition of nominees for appointment for high commissioners, ambassadors and permanent representatives from career diplomats as compared to non-career diplomats.
If the Bill is enacted into law, the bulk of high commissioners, ambassadors and diplomatic and consular representatives will be drawn from career diplomats and non-career diplomats in the ratio of 70:30 respectively.
“The Principal Act is amended in section 20 by deleting section (3) and substituting thereof-a nomination under subsection (2) shall reflect-a composition of career and non-career diplomats, of which not more than seventy percent shall represent career diplomats, and not more than thirty percent shall represent non-career diplomats,” the Bill states.
“This is in line with Sessional Paper No 1 of 2025 on the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kenya which noted that there is need for progressive realisation of the objective to enhance Kenya’s diplomatic representation to consist of the bulk of high commissioners, ambassadors and diplomatic and consular representatives drawn from career diplomats and non-career diplomats in the ratio of 70:30 respectively.”
The Bill, sponsored by Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna, also seeks to provide clarity to the meaning of a career diplomat in terms of the years of service.
Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna at a past event.
The Bill amends the Foreign Service Act, Cap 185E to define career diplomat as a person who has served within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for at least 10 years.
“Career diplomat means an officer of a rank eligible for appointment as a high commissioner, ambassador, diplomatic or consular representative,” the Bill states.
The office of a high commissioner, ambassador, diplomatic or consular representative is a State office established under Article 260 of the Constitution.
Article 132(2)(e) of the Constitution requires the President to nominate, and subject to the approval of the National Assembly, appoint a high commissioner, ambassador, diplomatic or consular representative.
“A nomination under…shall reflect a fair balance between career diplomats and other appointments, and the gender, regional and other diversities of the people of Kenya,” the Constitution states.
“A person nominated under subsection (2) shall be a citizen of Kenya and of a reputable character and standing.”
Sessional Paper No.1 of 2025, on the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kenya, which was adopted by the National Assembly, requires appointees for envoy positions to possess relevant experience in diplomacy and international relations.
Currently, Section 20 of the Foreign Service Act provides that such appointments should reflect a “fair balance” between career and non-career diplomats.
The National Assembly’s Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, is expected to scrutinise the Bill and table its report in the House.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech.
In 2024, President William Ruto appointed more former Cabinet Secretaries in the Foreign Service, nominating Prof Margaret Ndung’u (ICT) and Dr Andrew Karanja (Agriculture) to serve as envoys to Ghana and Brazil respectively.
The two had barely served in their dockets as CSs for half a year, having been sworn in on August 8, 2024. Prof Ndung’u declined the posting.
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President Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta have continued to appoint political rejects and fired Cabinet Secretaries as high commissioners, ambassadors and permanent representatives.
But in August and September 2025, President Ruto named more career diplomats compared to political appointees.
Most of the new nominations to the Foreign Service, who were vetted and approved by the National Assembly’s Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, were career diplomats.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the legislators that Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2025, generated by his ministry, if operationalised, will ensure more career diplomats are appointed to serve the country in foreign nations.
He said the Sessional Paper will anchor Kenya’s foreign policy in law, making it more citizen-centred and transparent.
Mr Mudavadi said the move would be a change away from conventional, opaque international relations to a more transparent, accountable strategy that prioritised Kenyan interests.
He said the revised policy reflected pragmatism and a long-term vision in the face of global change.
“Sessional Paper No 1 of 2025 on Kenya’s Foreign Policy seeks to ensure inclusivity in policy formulation by recognising the critical role of various actors in shaping and advancing the country’s foreign policy, and to broaden the scope of Kenya Foreign Policy 2014 from the five pillars of peace diplomacy, economic diplomacy, environmental diplomacy, diaspora diplomacy, and cultural diplomacy to include areas such as health and technology diplomacy,” Mr Mudavadi told lawmakers at the time.
“The Sessional Paper also aims to boost Diaspora and Economic diplomacy, with County governments and Kenyans living abroad playing an important role in advancing the country’s foreign policy goals.”
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