Principal Secretary nominees set for vetting

President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi June 7, 2013 when they named 26 Principal Secretary nominees. Parliament will begin vetting the nominees June 18, 2013. FILE

What you need to know:

  • Public invited to submit affidavits on the suitability or otherwise of the nominees.

Parliament will begin vetting the 26 Principal Secretary nominees next week.

Clerk of the National Assembly Justin Bundi said Parliament received the names of the 26 nominated by President Kenyatta in 18 ministries on Monday and has invited the public to submit affidavits on the suitability or otherwise of the nominees.

The ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has three nominee nominees, while those of Devolution and Planning, Education Science and Technology, Transport and Infrastructure, Environment, Water and Mineral Resources, East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism and Interior and Coordination of National Government have two PS nominees.

In an advertisement in the local dailies, Mr Bundi urged the public to submit any queries they may have on the suitability of the nominees.

“Pursuant to Section 6(9) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011, the clerk of the National Assembly now invites interested members of the public to submit any representations by written statement on oath (affidavit), that they may have on the suitability or otherwise of the nominees for appointment as principal secretaries,” Mr Bundi said.

The representations are to be forwarded to the clerk through postal services or email. They can also be hand-delivered to the office of the clerk at Parliament’s main building in Nairobi before Tuesday June 18 when the vetting begins.

Only three permanent secretaries who served in former President Kibaki’s administration were retained to serve in the new government with former Industrialisation PS Karanja Kibicho being nominated as the new Foreign Affairs principal secretary while former provincial administration PS Mutea Iringo was retained in the ministry now renamed Interior and Coordination of National Government.

Mr Kenyatta also retained Prof Japheth Micheni Ntiba in the Fisheries Department.

At least three of those appointed were candidates in the March elections.

John Konchella and Joseph Musuni Tiampati, who contested the gubernatorial seat in Narok County on a Kanu and Kenya National Congress ticket respectively were nominated to the Devolution and Communication dockets.

Mr Tiampati is a former general manager with the National Social Security Fund.

Prof Colletta Suda, who resigned as Gender Secretary to contest the Migori senate seat on an ODM ticket, was nominated Science and Technology PS.

Others nominated to serve as principal secretaries include Kenya Power managing director Joseph Njoroge, National Bank of Kenya deputy managing director Ali Noor Ismail and Kenya’s permanent representative to the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monica Kathina Juma.