Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Junet Mohamed, has castigated the appointment of politicians as ambassadors at the expense of career diplomats, citing President William Ruto’s latest nominations.
In the recent changes to his administration, President Ruto nominated former Health CS Susan Nakhumicha to serve as Permanent Representative at the UN-Habitat in Nairobi and Peter Tum as the ambassador in Kinshasa, DRC.
James Buyekane and Abdi Fidhow were nominated to serve as Consuls General in Guangzhou, China, and Arusha, Tanzania, respectively.
During the parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, Junet opposed the special motion moved by Mandera East MP Bashir Abdullahi on the nominees’ approval, condemning the recycling of politicians in such positions.
Junet highlighted a scenario where diplomats’ careers deteriorate due to politicians occupying their positions.
“You cannot be recycling people who have served in a high office and then give them another office. When will career diplomats get a chance to serve in our diplomatic missions?” he posed.
“Every politician or civil servant who has failed is being dumped in a certain mission somewhere in the world. This is demoralising our career civil servants.”
In a surprising twist, Junet dismissed the Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who sought a point of order, alleging that he had to take a different opinion on the pertinent matter.
“Majority Leader, there is no broad-based approach on this one. Let me do my work as the minority leader,” he said.
“There are career civil servants who start their lives at a very young age in the world of diplomacy. They grow and mostly reach deputy ambassador, where they stagnate because Junet will be voted out in Suna East and get nominated as ambassador. Keynan (Eldas MP) is most likely to get a position after the next election,” he said amid laughter from his colleagues.
Reflecting on the genesis of the issue, Junet accused the Jubilee regime of recycling failed politicians to diplomatic missions.
“I am of the view that the government of late Moi never did this, Kibaki didn’t do this. This began in Jubilee, recycling people the way you do Dandora West,” he pointed out.
“This culture must stop. The appointing authority has the prerogative to relieve them of their duties, which means there’s a problem, either incompetence, malpractice or change of loyalty.”
He advocated for President Ruto to prioritise career diplomats before considering politicians.
“I want to see in a list of 10 diplomatic appointments, a minimum of six or seven career diplomats, then we can have a top-up of 3, if Wamuchomba loses the way she will do in Githunguri next time, then she can be an ambassador,” Junet said in a cheeky jab at the Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba.
