Junet Slams President Ruto Over Diplomatic Appointments in Parliament Debate
There was drama in Parliament on Thursday, April 17, as lawmakers engaged in a heated exchange over President William Ruto’s latest diplomatic appointments.
The session, which focused on the vetting of individuals nominated for ambassadorial roles, turned tense as Minority Leader Junet Mohamed strongly criticised the President’s decisions.
Junet, the Suna East MP, took issue with what he termed the “recycling of failed politicians” into lucrative diplomatic positions.
Speaking passionately during the session, he condemned the government’s continued practice of appointing former politicians to key foreign service positions instead of promoting qualified career diplomats.
“We cannot continue recycling the same individuals in public office,” Junet said. “Every politician who fails to win an election ends up being dumped in a foreign mission.
This is a huge blow to hardworking civil servants who have dedicated their lives to growing within the system.”
Junet argued that the careers of professional diplomats are often cut short or stagnate due to such political appointments.
According to him, many dedicated public officers start at the bottom with dreams of rising through the ranks, only to be blocked by politicians who are parachuted into top positions without relevant experience.
“There are people who joined the civil service as young professionals with ambition,” he added. “But when they rise to the position of deputy ambassador, they can’t go any higher because politicians are already lined up for those top posts.”
To address this issue, Junet proposed that President Ruto should appoint more qualified career diplomats. He suggested that for every 10 diplomatic postings, at least seven should be given to professionals who have worked their way up in the foreign affairs sector.
Among those whose appointments Junet openly opposed was former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha. Her new role as an ambassador was officially announced on March 20 through a Gazette notice as part of a broader reshuffle of diplomatic positions.
Other notable nominees include former Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum, who was tapped to become Kenya’s Ambassador to Kinshasa, and Alfred Ombudo and Geoffrey Kaituko, who were nominated as Deputy Heads of Mission to Brussels and Rome, respectively.
Despite Junet’s strong opposition to Nakhumicha’s appointment, several lawmakers, particularly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, came to her defense.
The Kikuyu MP said that Nakhumicha had done a commendable job as Health CS, especially given the tough conditions she had inherited.
“She laid a strong foundation during her time at the Ministry of Health,” Ichung’wah said. “People may have different views about her, but she played a key role in the transformation of NHIF. That alone makes her fit to serve in the diplomatic service.”
Interestingly, before her new appointment, Nakhumicha had publicly revealed that she was going through financial difficulties following her removal from Cabinet.
Her allies from the Western region had been lobbying the President to assign her another government role, which likely influenced her current posting.
This surprise twist in Parliament highlighted the ongoing debate over merit versus political loyalty in public appointments, with Junet’s remarks adding fresh fire to the conversation.
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