President picks former MPs and career diplomats as new envoys

By ISAAC ONGIRI

Two former MPs have been appointed ambassadors in new diplomatic postings announced yesterday.

Former MPs Kembi Gitura (Kiharu) and Mutinda Mutiso (Kilome) were appointed envoys to Belgium and Tanzania.

Former Nairobi PC Francis Sigei was appointed ambassador to Nigeria, while Mr Elkanah Odembo was appointed the new envoy for France.

Professional diplomats were promoted in the new appointments that largely locked out hopefuls, mostly individuals who lost in the last General Election.

Mr Mohamed Gello, a career civil servant based at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been posted to the United Arab Emirates.

The President posted Mr Simeon Nabukwesi, a former Kamusinga High School principal, to Canada while Mr Macharia Kamau, who was formerly at the African Policy Institute in Pretoria, to the UN headquarters in New York.

Mr Patrick Wamoto has been promoted to the rank of ambassador in charge of political affairs and will be stationed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

PROMOTED

Others promoted to the same level are Mr Anthony Andanje, who will be an ambassador and Director, International Organisation Divisions, while Mr Josephine Gaita will be an ambassador and director, Office of the International Conference on Great Lakes.

Two months ago, the Government appointed former Internal Security Minister Julius Sunkuli the Kenyan envoy in China.

But Foreign Assistant Minister Richard Onyonka cried foul, saying the appointments did not reflect "portfolio balance" between the two partners in the coalition Government — PNU and ODM.

Mr Onyonka is a member of the NLP party that is affiliated to ODM. He said: "There is no balance in the appointments. It is necessary to bring legislative amendments to allow professional diplomatic appointments."