Ambassadors, PSs, JSC nominees vow to deliver during vetting

“I will deliver if you endorse my nomination.”

That was the pledge from all Principal Secretary, Ambassador and Judicial Service Commission (JSC) nominees who appeared before various parliamentary committees on Wednesday for vetting.

PS nominees Nelson Marwa (Devolution) Amb. Macharia Kamau (Foreign Affairs) and Major Gen. (Rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa (Immigration and Registration of Persons) appeared before the Parliamentary Committees on Devolution and Internal Security and promised to reform their respective dockets.

Speaking during his vetting, Mr. Marwa listed a raft of achievements during his stint as the Coast Regional Coordinator citing the list as the main reason why the committee on Devolution should endorse his nomination.

“During my tenure as Coast Regional Coordinator I worked with current KDF Chief Of Staff Samson Mwathethe to put an end to piracy. I also confronted drug barons head on. Most of you know that the drug dealers are prominent and influential people. I also suffocated outlawed criminal groups like the MRC,” Marwa told the legislators.

He promised to crack down on corruption and ensure co-ordination between government agencies.

Major Gen (Rtd) Kihalangwa acknowledged that illegal immigrants pose a serious threat to Kenya’s national security but promised to hit the ground running as soon as he sails through the vetting process.

“I want to ensure that Kenyans who have third generation IDs will have their Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) pins, Driving Licence and National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) details in one platform,” said the PS nominee.

Earlier Amb. Kamau appeared before the Defence and Foreign Relations committee and pledged to foster relations between Kenya and her neighbours and international partners.

He also sent a stern warning to East African countries that do not safeguard the interests of Kenyans in reference to South Sudan after two Kenyan pilots who were captured by rebels affiliated to exiled former Vice President Riek Machar returned to the country on Tuesday, February 20.

“Most of them live in Kenya and are treated just like Kenyan citizens. For Kenyans to go to their countries and treated the way the pilots were treated is just unacceptable,” said the PS nominee.

Ambassador to France nominee Prof. Judy Wakhungu scoffed at claims that her nomination as an envoy to the European country is a demotion from her former position as Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources during President Kenyatta’s first term.

She promised to improve relations between Kenya and France.