•Foreign Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary Ababu Namwamba is this morning set to resign.
•The former Budalangi MP will be taking up his new role as Deputy President William Ruto's roving envoy.
Image: DPPS
Foreign Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary Ababu Namwamba is this morning set to resign from President Uhuru Kenyatta's government.
The former Budalangi MP will be taking up his new role as Deputy President William Ruto's roving envoy on international relations.
Ruto on Wednesday appointed Namwamba to the post at his Presidential campaign secretariat.
Under his new role, the CAS will be responsible for Ruto's internal image and relations ahead of the August 9 General Election.
This even as it emerged that Namwamba, a former Budalangi MP, could resign from his public Service job on Thursday to concentrate on Ruto's campaigns.
In appointing Namwamba, Ruto said they have worked closely for over 10 years, a period within which he has valued his leadership, experience, focus and empathy.
"It is because of those qualities that I could not be more grateful to have him in our campaign team,” Ruto in a statement by Hussein Mohamed, the Director of Communications at WSR secretariat.
Ruto said Namwamba has considerable diplomatic talents, deep knowledge of the continent, and strong network on the global stage, and unwavering determination.
"Namwamba has expertise in international diplomacy," he said.
"William Ruto is humbled and fortunate in continuing to attract an able and distinguished group of citizens to deliver the William Ruto presidency in 2022," said Mohamed.
About two weeks ago, Namwamba publicly announced that he will not contest for the Budalangi parliamentary seat, but would concentrate on campaigning for the deputy president.
“I am going to be working very closely with Ruto to deliver his presidency. I believe he offers this country a fresh beginning. I believe this country is at the cusp of a new start that has a paradigm shift in how the affairs of Kenya can be managed," Namwamba said.
He dismissed claims that he was backing DP Ruto with hopes of being part of the team that will form the next government.
Namwamba served as Budalangi Member of Parliament between 2007 and 2017 and was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta as Foreign Affairs CAS in January 2018.
In 2016, Namwamba fell out with ODM party officials and resigned as Secretary-General to the party and subsequently lost to ODM candidate Raphael Wanjala.
He holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Law in International law from American University Washington College of Law.
His appointment come barely a month after DP Ruto bagged ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula ahead of the August 9 polls.
The DP has been working closely with leaders from the Western region, among them Sakwa Bunyasi (Nambale), Malulu Injendi (Malava), Majimbo Kalasinga (Kabuchai), Cleophas Malala (Kakamega), Benjamin Washiali (Mumias East), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Tandaza Saw (Matuga), among others.