Rejected offer: Ruto's men on notice for 'embarrassing' his office

Former West Mugirango MP Vincent Mogaka and former ICT Cabinet Secretary Margaret Ndung'u rejected President William Ruto's nomination for ambassadorial positions. [File, Standard]

A decision by a former CS to decline the ambassadorial nomination has sparked discontent among President William Ruto’s allies.

The National Assembly team is now blaming the Head of Public Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Margaret Nyambura turned down the offer to serve as the High Commissioner to Ghana

Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee chair Nelson Koech said Felix Kosgei and the ministry, now under Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, had embarrassed the President. 

Nyambura, who was to be the first nominee to be vetted at 9am yesterday, failed to show up and instead sent a letter communicating her reasons for declining the nomination.  

“…after taking into consideration these matters, they will not allow me to take up the position of the High Commissioner to Ghana as nominated by his Excellency the President on November 19, 2024.  To save the precious time of the committee, kindly take note that this letter serves as a notice not to appear. Thank you for the invitation,” read the letter from the former ICT Cabinet Secretary.

READ: Ex-ICT CS Margaret Ndung'u declines Ruto's envoy nomination

In April last year, former West Mugirango MP Vincent Mogaka also declined nomination for the same position.

Koech blamed the officials of not doing their due diligence when making the nominations.

“There are so many Kenyans who are deserving of these appointments. The picking of names of individuals who probably may not have been consulted or have no interest to represent our country is not only an embarrassment to the country but an embarrassment to the President,” said the Belgut MP, adding:

“It looks like destination Ghana is jinxed. We want to put the Ministry and Head of Public Service on notice.” 

Those vetted on Friday included former Deputy Inspector General of Police Noor Gabow, former Youth and Sports CS Ababu Namwamba and former Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja.  

Gabow, who was being vetted for the position of envoy to Caribbean Island, Haiti, yesterday denied claims that officers deployed in Haiti had abandoned the peacekeeping mission due to non-payment.

“The officers are being paid their salaries and no officer has left. They are doing an excellent job and we should not be dealing with the issue of social media. It can be destructive in some areas,” Gabow submitted.

Should he be approved by the committee, Gabow vowed to focus on areas of partnership between Kenya and Haiti, post-war.

Former CS Karanja, who was nominated as an Ambassador to Brasilia, Brazil, defended the controversial vaccination of livestock campaign by the Ruto administration.

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“I have never met Bill Gates or representatives from his foundation as was being alleged. The government’s role is to coordinate the vaccinations so we can get better markets for our livestock,” said Karanja.

On his part, Namwamba, the nominee for Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), dismissed claims that his nomination is a demotion from his former Cabinet Secretary position.

He described the nomination as a reassignment, noting the significance of the role.

“The task ahead carries immense magnitude. If it is your commission to be a street sweeper, sweep the streets so well that even the hosts of heaven would stop, wonder, and marvel, saying, ‘Behold, there is a street sweeper here.’ To me, this is just a reassignment,” he said.

The former CS also revealed that his net worth now stands at Sh500 million.