National Assembly Committee Greenlights 20 Cabinet Nominees; Final Approval Pending House Debate
By Monday evening, the National Assembly Committee on Appointments had approved 20 Kenyans nominated by President William Ruto for Cabinet Secretary roles, according to a draft report.
The committee, led by House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, is scheduled to convene on the morning of Wednesday, August 7, to finalize and endorse the report. This report will then be presented in the House for discussion during its morning session.
The House will debate the report in the afternoon session.
Initially, the committee was split over two nominees: former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, due to ongoing investigations with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and Ms. Stella Langa’t, who was criticized for her performance during the committee’s review.
Disagreements led to a group of committee members, including Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, walking out in protest of the proposed rejection of Mr. Oparanya.
Following consultations with other government officials, the committee reconvened and decided to recommend all nominees for approval.
According to one anonymous committee member, the current stance is to support all nominees for their respective positions unless changes occur.
The committee chairperson serves as the sole spokesperson for the committee.
If the committee’s recommendations are upheld, the House will need to either accept or reject them during its plenary session.
The report follows a rigorous four-day vetting process that concluded on Sunday.
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Despite some nominees underperforming in their interviews, the committee approved them, confirming they met the necessary qualifications without questionable academic credentials.
The vetting process adhered to the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, which requires the committee to present its report within fourteen days of the nomination notice.
The Act specifies that approval hearings should assess a candidate’s academic credentials, professional experience, personal integrity, and suitability for the proposed role.
The committee must prepare a report on each nominee’s suitability and include any recommendations deemed necessary.
The nominees awaiting House approval include former Speaker Justin Muturi (Public Service and Human Capital Development), Aden Duale (Environment, Climate Change and Forestry), John Mbadi (National Treasury and Economic Planning), and James Wandayi (Energy and Petroleum).
Others include Rebecca Miano (Tourism and Wildlife), Ali Hassan Joho (Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs), Wycliffe Oparanya (Co-operatives and MSMEs Development), and Stella Lang’at (Gender, Culture, The Arts and Heritage).
Additional nominees vetted include Dr. Debra Mulongo Barasa (Health), Dr. Andrew Mwihia (Agriculture and Livestock Development), Eric Mugaa (Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation), Dr. Margaret Ndung’u (Information, Communication, and Digital Economy), and Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development).
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Also considered were Salim Mvurya (Investments, Trade and Industry), Soipan Tuya (Defense), Julius Ogamba (Education), Prof. Kithure Kindiki (Interior and National Administration), Davis Chirchir (Roads and Transport), Kipchumba Murkomen (Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports), and Alfred Mutua (Labour and Social Protection).
If Parliament neither approves nor rejects a nominee within the specified period, the nominee is deemed approved.
If Parliament rejects a nomination, the appointing authority may propose an alternative candidate, following the same approval process.
The Clerk is required to inform the appointing authority of the House’s decision within seven days.
The committee’s tasks included verifying compliance certificates from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Higher Education Loans Board, Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Kenya Revenue Authority, Commission for University Education, and at least one Credit Reference Bureau.
National Assembly Committee Greenlights 20 Cabinet Nominees; Final Approval Pending House Debate
