The 24 people nominated by President William Ruto for appointment as Cabinet Secretaries will know their fate this week when MPs vote for their suitability or rejection to the said offices.

The National Assembly’s Committee on Appointment (CoA) is set to table its report tomorrow, after which members will debate and vote to either approve or reject it.

The committee has until Thursday to table the report.

MPs will have seven days to clear the report by a resolution to approve or reject the nominees.

If approved, the acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Serah Kioko, will inform the President of the decision of the House, and the President shall appoint them formally through a gazette notice and have them sworn into office.

Process expedited

 A source close to the committee told ‘People Daily’ that President Ruto wants the process expedited to have the new CSs sworn in by Friday, ready to assume office by Monday the following week.

“The President wants the process accelerated to allow the new CSs assume office. Time is running out. Although we are constitutionally within the timelines, he thinks they need to take office soon,” said the source.

Should the MPs reject all or any of the nominees, the Clerk will communicate the same to the Head of State, and request that he replaces the rejected names for consideration by the House.

The committee chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula retreated to a city hotel to write its report on the suitability of the nominees after concluding the approval hearings.

The Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act gives the National Assembly 28 days within which, by a resolution at the plenary, to approve or reject the nominees.

The 28 days start from the time the notification of the nominees was communicated to members by the Speaker.

The law  requires that, if the 28-day period ends without the MPs having either approved or rejected the nominees at the plenary, they will be deemed to have been approved by the House for formal appointment by the President.

President Ruto named the 24 nominees on September 27, 2022, and formally conveyed the names to the National Assembly for vetting.

The nominees include former ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi (Prime Cabinet Secretary), former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi (Attorney-General), Garissa Township MP Aden Duale (Defence), and former Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui (Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development).

Also on the list

Others are Kandara MP Alice Wahome (Water, Sanitation and Irrigation), former Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki (Interior and National Administration), former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa (Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action), former Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria (Trade, Investment and Industry) and Susan Nakhumicha (Health).

Yet others are Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen (Roads, Transport and Public Works), former Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya (Environment and Forestry), former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury and Planning), Penina Malonza (Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage) and former Nyaribari Masaba MP Ezekiel Machogu (Education).

Already vetted

Eliud Owalo (ICT and Digital Economy), former KenGen chief executive Rebecca Miano (East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development), Florence Bore (Labour and Social Protection) and Zacharia Njeru (Lands, Housing and Urban Development) were vetted by MPs.

Also vetted were Davis Chirchir (Energy and Petroleum), former Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya (Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs), Mercy Wanjau (Secretary to the Cabinet), Alfred Mutua (Foreign and Diaspora Affairs) and Ababu Namwamba (Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts).

Murkomen, Wahome and Duale will, however, not participate in the debate since they are “people of interest” — being serving MPs — as stipulated by the Standing Orders.