Members of Parliament on Thursday approved the nomination of Mwende Mwinzi as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Seoul, South Korea, paving the way for her appointment by President Kenyatta.
Mwende’s nomination was approved alongside that of Kariuki Mugwe (Abu Dhabi), Peter Angore (Algiers, Algeria), Flora Karugu (Lusaka, Zambia), Michael Mubea (Dublin, Ireland), Diana Kiambuthi (Stockholm, Sweden) and Njambi Kinyungu (UN-Habitat).
There was a heated debate in the National Assembly over the nomination of Ms. Mwinzi, who holds Kenyan and United States citizenship.
MPs resolved that a public officer is also a state officer and must never hold dual citizenship.
This means Ms. Mwinzi must renounce her US citizenship before taking up the job upon appointment.
In a report on Tuesday, the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee recommended that Ms. Mwinzi chooses between her US citizenship and the High Commissioner job.
The Committee’s chair Katoo Ole Metito said: “Dual citizenship has consequences. We are not saying she cannot take up the position as an ambassador. We are saying she can renounce the position if the House approves her name.”
Majority Leader Aden Duale said Ms. Mwinzi must renounce her second citizenship as demanded by the Leadership and Integrity Act.
“There is nobody denying Mwende Mwinzi a job but she must follow the law and Constitution. She must comply with the provisions of the Leadership and Integrity Act,” Duale said.
“If the US President tweets saying all its citizens should leave South Korea, what will Ms. Mwinzi do?. Take the moral high ground; renounce that dual citizenship. It is not going to help you.”
Minority Leader John Mbadi said Ms. Mwinzi must relinquish US citizenship.
“We, in this House, have been criticized for approving people with questionable characters. If you don’t renounce the US citizen you will remain as one. Asking her to renounce her citizenship is not asking too much,” he said.
I don’t have a problem with…
I don’t have a problem with the “leadership and integrity act”. Just have a problem its M-Pigs enforcing it. Hypocrisy hypocrisy at its best.
For the first time, I find…
For the first time, I find myself in agreement with our “washenzi”, as Uhuru calls them. Mwende must renounce her U.S citizenship if she so badly needs this job. Who knows, the girl might be a spy.
Absolutely!
Absolutely!
So many of us with stupidity…
So many of us with stupidity. If she is qualified to do the job then why should she renounce her US citizenship? The former KQ md was a foreigner & were tight-lipped then here come a lady who has what it takes and we breathing fire.
No. It comes a time when…
No. It comes a time when laws must be followed. Mwende would never try that in the US. She has the priviledges of being and American and should not be entertained to break the law. Very many Kenyans can do what she wants to do
most of these mpigs are dual…
most of these mpigs are dual citizens, uhurus wife is dual, uhuru cousin ceo of kicc is dual, laws only applying to the masses and not to the elites, if consistently and universally applied should be ok
She should renounce her usa…
She should renounce her usa citizenship with immediate effect or i will personally go to court with Omtatah coz our law is very clear.Yes she might b an american spy.
I am just curious, did…
I am just curious, did Micheal Joseph renounce the citizenship of where he comes from before he joined Safaricom and later KQ board? How about that Pole who ran down KQ? Kwani Akombe is the yardstick; if she is she a poor one. Many of us can do better than that, and in fact have. Wacha Mwende atu represent huko Korea.
We are talking about an…
We are talking about an ambassador she is in Korea or will be there to represent Kenyan interests. Renounce your US citizenship or let the job be given to a more qualified authentic candidate. Sometimes I wonder how the president or his advisers pick applicants how can somebody who has spent years abroad be put in charge of a country they barely know . Ama ni window dressing tu. Go twang to the Koreans hata Kama utakuwa unaongea upuzi you will impress with your accent ?
No. I support the sovereign…
No. I support the sovereign Kenyan govt.
We must become a country that follows its laws, more importantly, Diaspora Kenyans who have benefited from the countries that have sound and strong laws should lead the way in showing Kenyans what is expected.
On this, Mwende should be passed. There are Kenyans willing to do her job: after all, what do they really do.