Parliament Announces Vetting Schedule For CS Nominees Mutahi Kagwe, Kabogo, Lee Kinyanjui

The National Assembly Committee on Appointments has announced that it will conduct approval hearings for three nominees proposed by President William Ruto for Cabinet Secretary (CS) positions on January 14, 2025.

According to an announcement on Tuesday, December 24, the sessions will see different committees responsible for the evaluations, one of them overseeing the vetting of three CS nominees previously allied to former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The nominees include Mutahi Kagwe, a former Health Cabinet Secretary under retired President Uhuru, whom Ruto nominated to head the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. 

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has been designated for the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, while former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has been proposed to lead the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry.

Collage of Lee Kinyanui, Mutahi Kagwe and William Kabogo nominated to Cabinet positions by President William Ruto. /NTV

Per the schedule, Kagwe will appear before the Committee on Appointments, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses Wetang’ula, as the first nominee on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at noon. He will be followed by Kabogo, who will take the stand at 3:00 p.m. and Kinyanjui at 5:00 p.m.

Additionally, the departmental committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations will vet nominees for ambassadorial, high commissioner, and diplomatic representative positions on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Among the nominees for ambassadorial positions include Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u, the immediate former Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, who was nominated as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Accra, Ghana. She will appear before the committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, at 9:00 a.m.

Dr. Andrew Karanja, the immediate former Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, has been nominated as Kenya’s Ambassador to Brazil and is scheduled to appear at 11:00 a.m. 

Ababu Namwamba, the former Sports Cabinet Secretary, who has been nominated as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, will face the panel at 2:00 p.m. 

Former Deputy Inspector General of Police Noor Gabow, nominated as Consul-General to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, will conclude the vetting at 4:00 p.m.

Furthermore, the departmental committee on Labour will conduct approval hearings for nominees to fill vacancies at the Public Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

Among the nominees is former Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Service, Mary Wanjira Kimonye, who has been named the new Vice-Chairperson of the PSC. She will be joined by six other nominees for commission member positions: Harun Maalim Hassan, former IEBC commissioner Boya Molu, Irene Cherotich Asienga, Francis Otieno Owino, Joan Andisi Machayo, and Francis Meja.

In an advertisement placed in local dailies on Tuesday December 24th, 2025, Clerk of the National Assembly Mr. Samuel Njoroge notified the public of the approval hearings, stating, “Pursuant to Article 118(1)(b) of the Constitution and Section 6(4) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act (Cap. 7F), the committees shall conduct approval hearings (vetting) of the nominees on the dates, times, and venues indicated in the schedule.”

The public is invited to submit written statements on oath (affidavits) with supporting evidence contesting the suitability of any nominee. 

These representations should be sent to the Clerk of the National Assembly, P.O. Box 41842-00100, Nairobi, hand-delivered to the Office of the Clerk at the Main Parliament Buildings, or emailed to cna@parliament.go.ke by 5:00 p.m. on January 3, 2025.

Nominees have been instructed to appear for the hearings with their original identity cards, academic and professional certificates, and other relevant testimonials.

They are also required to obtain compliance certificates from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, and a Credit Reference Bureau (CRB).