Belgut Member of Parliament (MP) Nelson Koech has explained the possible mistakes that led to the appointment of former West Mugirango MP Vincent Mogaka Kemosi even after he declined his nomination as Kenya’s ambassador to Ghana.
In an interview, the MP who sits on the Departmental Committe on Defence and Foreign Relations said the names are usually sent back to State House after the vetting process.
He therefore attributed the mistake to officials manning the government printer at statehouse or the officers responsible for submitting the names.
“The officers who printed the gazette notice with Vincent Kemosi name should account for their mistake. This tells you there are extremely lazy people sitting at the gov’t printer or the officers responsible submitting the names because this is the name of someone who didn’t go for the interview,” he said.
Koech said President William Ruto was hugely criticized for a mistake made by officers at State House and the Public Service.
“After we finish the vetting and the names are approved, they are sent back to the office of the president. I would expect some State House officers to spot the mistake, it is the head of public service that makes sure that the name is sent to government printer,” Koech said.
Koech Blames Public Service for the Error
He emphasized that names of individuals appointed by the President come from the head of the public service Felix Koskei and not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Koech described the incident as a terrible mistake which resulted from the incompetence of officers tasked with sending the names to the government printer.
“It is a terrible mistake; I saw it and I called Foreign Affairs PS, and he told me it has nothing to do with him since the names are sent elsewhere. It is a concern to many people, many people reached out and asked me,” he said.
He argued that President Ruto was bashed online for “appointing” someone who declined his offer.
Also Read: New Twist as Ruto Revokes Appointment of Ex-MP Who Rejected His Job Offer
“It doesn’t look good that the president’s name has to pop out yet there are officers who have been given the mandate to ensure that the names sent to the government printers are the ones that have been vetted,” he said.
Koech raised concerns about possible mistakes that could have gone unnoticed in the past.
According to the MP, there are possibilities that some names might have been added to the list of government appointees.
“You will have to look at many other things that have happened that went unnoticed. When the president appoints different people, and the names have to be sent to the government printers there might be names that have been sneaked in. This was noticeable because it was an issue that had come into the limelight,” Koech explained.
Adan Keynan on Vincent Kemosi Appointment
Likewise, Eldas MP, Adan Keynan criticized government officers for making such a huge mistake.
Keynan explained that the government’s gazette notice is a serious document that undergoes several scrutiny stages before publishing.
For this reason, the MP argued that the document should not contain any form of mistake especially when it involves presidential appointments.
“I think in public service due diligence is very important especially a document that is carrying the name of the president. The document must all the time be taken through a thorough process so that the end results projects what is intended,” Keynan said.
“The mistake is a serious one which portrays lack of thoroughness, efficiency and all manner of hopelessness. I think in future, serious, and petty mistakes should not be accepted in transaction of government business.”
Also Read: Ruto’s Insider Explains Why Raila’s Comments Could Cost Him AU Seat
Kemosi Rejects Offer
Kemosi declined his appointment for the ambassadorial role and failed to appear before the National Assembly Commitee on Foreign Affairs and Defense for vetting on April 9, 2024.
However, his name was included in an initial list of 26 appointed envoys in Gazette Notice No. 5162 dated May 2, 2024, which announced the successful candidates appointed by the Head of State.
President Ruto later revoked his appointment in a special gazette notice dated May 3, 2024.
Ruto announced the successful appointees for ambassadorial roles with Mogaka’s name being struck from the list.
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