Parliament defence committee begins vetting of ambassadorial nominees
By Cy Muganda, September 3, 2025The National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations has commenced the vetting process for persons nominated for appointment as Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls-General, with former Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore appearing as the first nominee.
In a statement posted on Parliament’s Facebook account on September 3, 2025, Parliament confirmed that the committee, chaired by Nelson Koech, had begun the crucial exercise to scrutinise diplomatic appointments.
“The National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, chaired by Hon. Nelson Koech, has commenced vetting of persons nominated for appointment as Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls-General,” the statement read.
Bore’s vetting
The vetting process started with Florence Bore, who has been nominated as High Commissioner to Windhoek, Namibia, appearing before the committee to defend her suitability for the diplomatic role.
Bore, who previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Labour from 2022 to 2024 and as Kericho County Women Representative between 2017 and 2022, highlighted her priorities for strengthening Kenya-Namibia ties.
She noted that the bilateral relationship dates back to 1964, with the first Joint Cooperation Agreement signed in 2018, followed by several other agreements.
“In 2018, the first agreement between Kenya & Namibia was signed as the Joint Cooperation Agreement, with several other agreements being signed since then,” she said.
Bore outlined economic diplomacy as her primary focus area if confirmed for the position, emphasising trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
“My first focus area would be Economic diplomacy, I would want to engage Namibia on trade and investments, we should open up our markets, particularly agricultural products,” Bore added.
She also addressed the challenges faced by Kenyans living in Namibia, particularly in accessing essential consular services, outlining key actions she plans to take to address these issues.
“Kenyans in Namibia have a challenge accessing consular services, having to go all the way to South Africa for passports, IDs, and Birth certificates. If approved, I will work towards bringing consular services closer to them,” Bore explained.
Bore’s background
Bore holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Moi University and served as a teacher for 23 years before entering elective politics.
She was first elected as Women’s Representative in 2017 and later appointed Cabinet Secretary for Labour.