Envoy nominees to know fate on Wednesday

Former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Mubea is vetted by lawmakers on May 28, 2019 for the position of envoy to Dublin. He is yet to be approved. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Mubea had a difficult time distancing himself from the tag of a mafia at the anti-graft agency and accusations of sitting on files.

The six nominees to head Kenya’s various missions and embassies across the world will know their fate on Wednesday when the National Assembly debates the report on their vetting.

The vetting exercise was conducted last Tuesday by the departmental committee on Defence and Foreign Relations chaired by Kajiado South MP Katoo ole Metito.

Among those who will be hoping that the committee of the whole House approves their nominations are former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) deputy chief executive Michael Mubea and Ms Mwende Mwinzi, who faced tough questions during their vetting last week.

Mr Mubea has been nominated to head the Kenyan mission in Dublin, Ireland, while Ms Mwinzi is destined for Seoul, South Korea.

Others who will also be hoping that they are cleared to head the various missions and embassies abroad include Kariuki Mugwe (Abu Dhabi), Peter Angore (Algiers), Flora Karugu (Lusaka), Diana Kiambuthi (Stockholm) and Njambi Kinyungu (UN Habitat).

GRAFT HURDLE

Mr Mubea had a difficult time distancing himself from the tag of a mafia at the anti-graft agency and accusations of sitting on files, and therefore being an impediment to the fight against rampant graft in the public institutions.

The interference, the MPs noted, had frustrated the nailing of suspects including those involved in the Chickengate scandal.

“They call you the mafia within the EACC; that you have been deliberately sitting on files and generally doing little to fight corruption. Is the government getting you out of the way so that it can now deal with corruption properly?” Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo posed.

CITIZENSHIP

However, Mr Mubea denied the accusations saying that he was leaving the commission proud of his efforts to transform it into a potent outfit capable of fighting corruption in the country.

Ms Mwinzi was also taken to task over her dual citizenship status.

“I was born in the US but I belong to Kenya. You can choose where to belong but you cannot choose where to be born. I cannot tell my parents to conceive me and deliver me elsewhere,” Ms Mwinzi said.