Ambassadorial Nominees Out To Task By Defence, Intelligence And Foreign Relations Committee
By Our Reporter
Worth Noting:
- Cherwon has been the chief protocol officer at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs since 2019 and has previously served as Counselor at Kenyan Embassy on Berlin, Germany.
- Defending her suitability for the job, Amb. Cherwon said she would pursue economic diplomacy to bridge the balance of trade between Kenya and France by marketing Kenya as a favourable trading partner in Paris.
- Cherwon also pledged to anchor Kenya on the counter climate change efforts, given that Paris is host to many agencies dealing in climate change affairs, and also enjoys cordial relations with Kenya.
Four Presidential nominees for positions of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Permanent Representatives were yesterday subjected to vetting by the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations.
The four who appeared before the Nelson Koech (Belgut)-led MP are Ms. Fouzia Abdirahman Abass (Bern, Switzerland), Amb. Betty Chebet Cherwon (Paris, France) Amb. Fredrick Lusambili Matwanga (Rome, Italy) and Amb. Angeline Kavindu Musili (Stockholm, Sweden).
During the vetting, members interrogated the nominees on their past performance in public service and gauged the scope of their knowledge on current diplomatic issues of interest to Kenya in destinations to which they have been nominated for appointment to.
Among these, were questions on what strategies the nominees would employ to achieve better balance of trade between Kenya and the respective countries, as well as unique social-economic areas of collaboration which they would pursue if approved for appointment.
Amb. Cherwon has been the chief protocol officer at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs since 2019 and has previously served as Counselor at Kenyan Embassy on Berlin, Germany.
Defending her suitability for the job, Amb. Cherwon said she would pursue economic diplomacy to bridge the balance of trade between Kenya and France by marketing Kenya as a favourable trading partner in Paris.
Amb. Cherwon also pledged to anchor Kenya on the counter climate change efforts, given that Paris is host to many agencies dealing in climate change affairs, and also enjoys cordial relations with Kenya.
Ms. Abass on the other hand has previously worked in the United Nations in different capacities; including as Chief Procurement Officer handling the UN Disengagement Force for Israel & Syria between June 2006 and November 2007.
She said she would use her vast diplomatic skills horned at the UN, to pursue strategic partnerships between Kenya and Switzerland in trade, scientific research and education.
Amb. Matwanga is the current Director for Economic and Commercial Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and has previously served at the Kenyan UN Mission in Geneva.
The nominee said he would foster mediation between Kenya and Italian authorities over the controversial Malindi Space Centre to pursue mutual interest. The Centre is currently at the centre of a dispute that has occasioned queries before the National Assembly for possible revocation of a Defence-Cooperation Agreement between Kenya and Italy.
He further said that if approved to serve the country in Rome, he would use diplomatic channels to rejuvenate Italians’ interest in Kenya as a leading tourism destination for its citizens
Ambasador Musili on the other hand has been the Director for the Americas and Carrebean Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs since May 2022.
She told the committee, that if approved, she would use available diplomatic avenues to pursue deeper collaborations with Swedish authorities on matters of water, sanitation and hyegine, especially for Kenyan slum dwellers.
Koech noted that the work would be clearly cutout for the nominees if approved, especially on the front of international trade, industrial collaborations and positive diplomatic ties.
“It is important that if you are appointed, you do as much as possible to help ease the pressure back home. We, for instance, are having a strain with the dollar. You will have your work clearly cut out if you are approved. However, we wait for the collective wisdom of this Committee when we retreat to draft a Report on your suitability,” said Koech.
The approval hearings for all the 27 nominees are expected to close on Thursday 2nd November, 2023.
The committee, is subsequently expected to table its Report before Wednesday next week November to enable the House consider the matter within the Statutory timelines.
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