National Assembly schedules vetting of Ruto’s ambassadorial appointees
By William Muthama, August 23, 2025The National Assembly has scheduled vetting hearings for nine diplomatic nominees forwarded by President William Ruto.
The announcement was made public through the Assembly’s official Facebook page on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Following the announcement, the vetting sessions were scheduled for Wednesday, September 3, and Thursday, September 4, 2025, at Parliament Buildings, where members will examine the nominees closely and submit recommendations to the House for approval.
“The Departmental Committee will conduct Approval Hearings in accordance with Article 118(1)(b) of the Constitution and the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act,” said Samuel Njoroge, Clerk of the National Assembly.
“Members of the public are invited to submit written statements contesting the suitability of any candidate before the hearings.”
The nominees to be vetted include Florence Chepngetich Bore for High Commissioner to Windhoek, Namibia; Anthony Mwaniki Muchiri as Ambassador to Ankara, Turkey; Lucy Kiruthu as Ambassador to Bangkok, Thailand; and Henry Wambuma as Ambassador to Bujumbura, Burundi.
Also on the list are Abdirashid Salat Abdille to Jakarta, Indonesia; Joseph Musyoka Masila to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Edwin Afande to Vienna, Austria; Jayne Jepkorir Toroitich to Dubai, UAE; and Judy Kiaria Nkumiri as Consul-General to Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The public has a right to provide input on the suitability of these nominees,” Njoroge added. “Written memoranda may be submitted to the Clerk before the hearing, either by post, hand delivery, or email.”
The vetting comes weeks after President Ruto’s nominee, Judy Kiaria Nkumiri, for Kenya’s Consul-General to Goma was rejected by the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs citing that Kenya must consult and obtain an exequatur before appointing a foreign consular chief.
In response, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei described the DRC’s reaction as “premature,” noting that Kenya would proceed with approval only after Parliament vets and clears the nominees.
The Departmental Committee’s report will be tabled in the House for consideration, and members are expected to vote to approve or reject the nominees, in line with the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act and the Constitution.
The Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Nelson Koech, will scrutinize the candidates’ qualifications and suitability for ambassadorial and consular positions