The 27 persons nominated by President William Ruto for appointment as ambassadors, high commissioners and permanent representatives will know their fate by Wednesday.
National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations last week concluded the vetting exercise and has retreated to write a report on their suitability.
The committee has up to November 8, 2023, to table its report for consideration by the House.
Following the conclusion of the seven-day exercise, committee chair Nelson Koech said members will give fair consideration to all the nominees.
On Thursday, the last three nominees who appeared before the committee; Mohamed Ramadhan Ruwange (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Lt. Gen. Abert Kendagor (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Mohamed Nur Adan (Doha, Qatar).
Koech revealed that members were impressed with most nominees saying it was a departure from the past where a high number of those named for appointment as envoys were not career diplomats.
He said the committee would scrutinise all nominees' responses to questions put to them by members, as well as their professional competencies to serve in the various countries.
"This has been a fruitful exercise, and we have taken note of the nominees' submissions, credentials and understanding of the issues. We will be retreating this weekend to write a report," said Koech.
Meanwhile, the Public Petitions Committee chaired by Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) continued with its hearings on the predicament of Narok East residents who do not have direct access to Naivasha.
The committee met with the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Wildlife and Tourism, Sylvia Museiya and senior management representatives from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
The meeting was in response to a petition submitted by area MP Lemenken Aramat.
The petition called for an investigation into the hindrances faced by Narok residents in accessing vital facilities in Naivasha town due to the fencing of the Hells Gate National Park, as well as the development of the KenGen Olkaria power plants and the Oserian Flower farm.
The petitioner had requested the Committee's intervention to have an access road constructed to mitigate the difficulties.
Museiya told the committee that the Ministry overseeing KWS and national parks had no objections to the provision of access roads in the area.
Mbai emphasised the importance of collaboration among all parties involved. He stressed the need for collaboration between all involved parties for the best outcome.
“What is important is to make sure that the residents of Narasha and Suswa get an access road. Therefore, all parties, being KWS, KenGen and the Ministry of Roads must work together during the design process to ensure that all critical infrastructure is protected and all factors are considered for this road to be constructed," said Mbai.
During the week, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula was in Lusaka for an engagement with his Zambian counterparts.
The high-profile meeting provided a platform for the exchange of ideas regarding parliamentary procedures in the two nations.
Members of the two House Business Committees shared insights into the composition of their respective legislative chambers and the various committees that operate within them.
And on the sidelines of the engagement with the Zambian National Assembly’s House Business Committee, Wetang’ula met and interacted with Kenyans.
During the meeting, they explored opportunities that Zambia presents, and challenges and brainstormed on possible solutions for existing bottlenecks towards enhancing their well-being abroad.
