Rigathi Gachagua hints at looming changes in Kenya’s diplomatic corps
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Kenya’s ambassador to Italy Jackline Yonga (left) visit an exhibition stand at United Nations Food Systems Summit in Rome Italy.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has given strong indications that a major shake-up of Kenya’s foreign missions is imminent.
Mr Gachagua has hinted at the impending reshuffle for the second time in three weeks, with President William Ruto expected to appoint diplomats with a mandate to aggressively market Kenyan products in their stations.
On June 6, while attending a tea conference in Kericho, Mr Gachagua said in an interview with local radio stations that some of those currently serving as high commissioners and ambassadors would be retained while others would be recalled in the impending changes. He, however, did not give a timeframe for the reshuffle.
The government, he revealed, will refocus the commitment of the heads of missions on economic diplomacy, with the marketing of tea, coffee and horticultural products being key, to create employment opportunities and increase foreign exchange earnings. He said the heads of missions will sign two-year renewable contracts with the requirement to devote 70 per cent of their assignments to marketing Kenyan products.
On Tuesday, Mr Gachagua, who is in Italy to attend the United Nations Food Systems Summit, said ambassadors, high commissioners and their deputies would soon be summoned to Nairobi for a briefing on the Kenya Kwanza government’s diplomatic and trade policies.
And in a departure from the past, ambassadors and high commissioners will submit monthly reports on their performance on trade matters.
In the past, marketing has not been an integral part of Kenya's missions abroad, even though they have trade attaches.
“We will soon summon our ambassadors, high commissioners and their deputies to Nairobi and those who are reappointed to head missions abroad will have to sign performance contracts to market our products abroad. If they fail, we will recall them and appoint more competent ones,” said Mr Gachagua during a meeting with Kenyans in Rome.
“We want to move away from the traditional diplomacy of attending meetings, cocktails, barbecues and the like. Seventy per cent of their job will be to pursue the commercial interests of our country, to market our agricultural products, to ensure that our exporters get the best deals,” Mr Gachagua added.
Except for a few diplomats who were recalled at the end of their terms, Dr Ruto has not touched the diplomatic circles since he took over power almost a year ago. Kenya’s ambassador to France Judi Wakhungu was recalled on June 2, while Mary Muthoni was also recalled from China in March.
At the end of his term, former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed a number of high commissioners and ambassadors, some of whom are expected to be replaced in the upcoming reshuffle. A large number of politicians and technocrats who were nominated as chief administrative secretaries, but whose nominations were quashed by the Judiciary, are said to be eyeing the positions.
President Ruto has tasked Mr Gachagua with spearheading reforms in the tea, dairy and coffee sectors to increase production, create new foreign markets and enable farmers to earn more from their investments.
He said Kenya’s debt of Sh9.6 trillion has overburdened the people and the Kenya Kwanza administration is trying to ease the pressure.
“We (Kenya Kwanza) presented our own first budget which took effect on July 1 and we will be judged by that and not the one that ended on June 30,” said Mr Gachagua.
