President William Ruto's nominees for Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Permanent Representatives in Kenya’s missions abroad on Wednesday completed their pre-vetting induction ahead of National Assembly vetting by MPs.
The training is being conducted by the Foreign Service Institute, a training arm of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
The institute is sharpening the nominees' understanding of the country's foreign policies, and diplomatic protocols and briefing them on their responsibilities and expectations.
Other areas being covered by the institute include possible vetting requirements by the National Assembly to make the nominees more prepared.
Some of the nominees are politicians while others are career diplomats with huge experience over the years.
Abudshakur Hussein, Kenya's Director for Middle East Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is among those briefing the nominees.
"Delighted to be part of the Ministry's senior management team conducting briefings for our newly-nominated Ambassadors/High Commissioners in preparation for their upcoming Vetting by Parliament,'' Hussein posted on his X account after his presentation on Wednesday.
"We presented a Middle-Eastern view of Kenya's Grand Strategy. All the best to the Nominees."
The officials are expected to appear before various National Assembly departmental Committees on Thursday for vetting before they are formally posted.
The MPs are on a short recess but various House committees started vetting sessions on Thursday
The committees will invite Kenyans to submit their views on the approval of the nominees and interview them before tabling a report in the House for consideration.
Among the nominees include former Kisumu Senator Fred Outa who was nominated to be Kenya’s Ambassador to Egypt, and former Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi nominated as the country’s High Commissioner to Uganda.
Former Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Ezra Chiloba made a comeback to the limelight as Kenya’s new Consul-General nominee in Los Angeles, USA.
If approved by Parliament, Chiloba will replace Thomas Kwaka Omolo who has served since May 2022.
The announcement of the nominations was made on March 8.
Other notable nominees are Lt. Gen. Peter Mbogo Njiru who was tapped as High Commissioner in Islamabad, Pakistan, while Lt. General Jonah Mwangi was picked as ambassador to Tehran, Iran.
Former LSK Vice President Caroline Kamende Daudi was picked to serve as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Canada, Catherine Kirumba Karemu to London, United Kingdom, Lilian Tomitom to Lusaka, Zambia and Vincent Mogaka Kemosi to Accra, Ghana.
David Kiplagat Kerich was nominated to serve as High Commissioner in Washington DC, USA, while Peter Mutuku Mathuki is the High Commissioner nominee to Moscow, Russia.