Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee Concludes Vetting of Ambassadorial Nominees

The 27 persons nominated by the President for appointment as Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Permanent Representatives will know their fate next week, when the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations tables a Report on their suitability for the job.

Tonight, Members of the Hon. Nelson Koech (Belgut)-led Committee retreat to draft a Report, having concluded the approval hearings (vetting) of all the 27 nominees.

Today the last nominees appeared before the Committee to defend their suitability for the job.

The three were Mr. Mohamed Ramadhan Ruwange (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Lt. Gen. Abert Kendagor (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Mr. Mohamed Nur Adan (Doha, Qatar).

Mr. Ruwange has served as a Senior Contracts Engineer at Occidental Petroleum Company since June 2019. He was previously a Legal Officer in the office of the Mombasa Senator between March 2016 and June 2017.

The nominee said he would push for standardization of visa fees charged on Kenyans arriving in Saudi Arabia if approved for appointment as Kenyan Ambassador in Riyadh.

He also pledged to work with the Saudi Authorities, as well as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and that of Labour to sensitize Kenyans pursuing employment in Saudi Arabia on the cultural dynamics and legal requirements of their contracts to address recent complaints by Kenyan immigrant workers in the Middle East.

Lt. Gen.Kendagor on the other hand, who served as a commandant at the National Defence College between 2022 & 2023, said he would use the diplomatic skills he had picked from peace efforts during his Military career to spearhead Kenya’s interests in Israel which is currently embroiled in armed fighting within the Gaza strip.

Mr. Adan who is the current Director for Administration in the Office of the Secretary Foreign Service said if approved for appointment as Kenya’s Ambassador in Doha, he would initiate diplomatic efforts to improve Kenya’s balance of trade with Qatar. He said he would work closely with Kenyan parent ministries and local industries to improve the quality of the final products targeted for export to Qatar to increase the Country’s volume of trade.

Hon. Koech said the Committee was impressed with most nominees’ demonstration of diplomatic experience, which he noted was a departure from tradition where a high number of those previously nominated for appointments as Ambassadors were not career diplomats.

He said the Committee would scrutinize all nominees’ responses to questions put to them by MPs, as well as their professional competences to serve the Republic at the destinations to which they have been posted.

“This has been a fruitful exercise, and we have taken note of the nominees’ submissions, credentials and understanding of the issues put to them by Members. We will be retreating this weekend to draft a suitability Report,” said Hon. Koech

The Committee will have until Wednesday 8th November, 2023 to table the Report for Consideration by the House.