Former Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy Margaret Nyambura has turned down President William Ruto’s nomination to serve as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Ghana.
Her decision was made public by Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech who chairs the departmental committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations on Friday, January 10, 2025.
Margaret Nyambura was scheduled to face the vetting panel on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 9:00 am. However, she failed to show up and later Koech announced that she had turned down Ruto’s job offer.
The former CS cited personal and family issues in declining the offer.
“I would like to give my appreciation for the invitation to appear before the departmental committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations on January 10, 2025. Pursuant to section 6(10) of the Public Appointment Parliamentary Approval Act No.3 of 2011, I wish to inform you that I would not appear before the said committee at the time and venue specified for approval hearing.
“This has been compelled by my personal and family matters which matters taking into consideration would not allow me to take up the position as the High Commissioner to Ghana as nominated by President William Ruto,” Nyambura’s letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly read out by MP Nelson Koech stated.
Her appointment
Margaret Nyambura was appointed to Cabinet following the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests which forced President Ruto to dismiss Cabinet Secretaries.
After deliberations, Ruto reconstituted his cabinet with Margaret Nyambura landing the position of ICT Cabinet Secretary.
She is an information, communication, and technology specialist with 28 years of experience. She has considerable experience working and consulting in the public, private, and development sectors, having worked at the community, national, regional, continental, and global levels.
Nyambura has previously been seconded to the public sector at the national and continental levels to assist with the development and implementation of strategies and policies such as the Kenya National ICT Master Plan, Kenya National Digital Masterplan 2022-2032 (ICT Authority), Continental Internet Governance Strategy 2019-2023, and African Union Child Online Safety and Empowerment Policy 2024 (African Union Commission), among others.
She holds a doctorate in information systems from the University of Nairobi and a Post-Doctorate Fellowship from the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. She has a Master of Business Administration degree in Management Science from the University of Nairobi, a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Sciences from Moi University, a Certificate in Media Studies and Information Management from Hamburg University, and a Certificate in Internet Governance and Cybersecurity Diplomacy from the Diplo Foundation.
