Addressing the press on Thursday, the Principal Secretary Ministry of Foreign affairs, Karanja Kibicho, said the Jubilee government will only introduce structural changes in how the missions operate.
NAIROBI Kenya, Aug 1 – The government now says it will not terminate contracts for those envoys whose term has not expired.
He says this will help the government deliver on its foreign policy in its bid to promote Kenya’s standing.
“The president has not said he is going to overhaul the people in the diplomatic missions. He wants to introduce structural changes that will help improve the country economic relationship with states that we relate with,” he affirmed.
He added, “the president has always said that his number one focus is Africa.”
Kibicho revealed that four of the recalled envoys have arrived in the country and the remaining envoy was set to come in a week’s time.
“Protocol matters when an ambassador is leaving a country. There is usually a courtesy call made to the president of that country and it’s ministry of foreign affairs which eventually extends a launch for them as a gesture of good relation with the country,” he explained.
He disputed allegations that the country had no money to bring them back.
“The country has money to buy air tickets of all envoy recalled. The ministry has 52 missions and each has a budget and the money has been allocated to cater for its activities,” he said.
“Others who have been recalled are still yet to arrive since they have important state functions they are doing. It will always be fair to allow them finish.”
He said all the contracts of the 15 ambassadors recalled have expired and can only be eligible for reappointment after four years.
“There is no reason to discontinue a person’s contract if it has not expired. Their contract does not end by the end of an election cycle, but we must remember they present the president,” he noted.
He explained that it will however be fair for the president to work with persons “considers easy to work with but for now, he has shown no desire to discontinue any contract.”
Those who have reported back to the country are envoys from Pakistan, Burundi, Canada and Washington DC.
“Two more ambassadors were recalled because they have been promoted to a position of Principal Secretary,” he said.
There is the former Ethiopia ambassador to Kenya, Monica Juma now Principal Secretary Ministry of Defence and former Ireland ambassador Richard Ekaye who has been appointed in the Ministry of Mining.
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