In a notice issued by the National Assembly (NA) on March 23, a total of 27 nominees were instructed to procure various clearance certificates from governmental bodies. These certificates were to be submitted to the committee responsible for vetting the nominees.
Former Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya, Ezra Chiloba, along with his team, was specifically directed to provide clearance letters from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to the Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations. Additionally, clearance from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) were also required.
The notice also stipulated that Chiloba and the other nominees must obtain clearance documents from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. Furthermore, it emphasized the necessity for nominees to attend approval hearings with original identity cards, academic and professional certificates, and any other pertinent testimonials.
Meanwhile, members of the public who had concerns regarding the suitability of the nominees were encouraged to submit relevant documentation to the committee for consideration during the vetting process.
In accordance with Article 118(1)(b) of the Constitution and section 6(9) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011, the Clerk of the National Assembly invited the public to submit representations, supported by evidence, contesting the nominees’ suitability for appointment as high commissioners, ambassadors, and diplomatic and consular representatives.
Representations could be submitted via written statements on oath (affidavits) along with supporting evidence, either by mail to the Clerk of the National Assembly, hand-delivered to the Office of the Clerk, Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, or emailed to cna@parliament.go.ke. Submissions were required to be received by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
Among the recent ambassadorial nominees was Ezra Chiloba, nominated as the Consul General of the Republic of Kenya in Los Angeles, United States. Notable nominees also included former Kisumu Senator Fred Outa (Egypt), former Vice Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jonah Mwangi (Iran), and former Commander of the Kenya Army Lieutenant General Peter Njiru, nominated as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Pakistan.
