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CS Juma due in Parliament for queries on deployment of dual citizen to foreign mission

CS Juma (pictured) who was to answer questions by lawmakers Thursday morning but requested the Jeremiah Kioni-led Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee to push the session to 4pm/FILE – MFA

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 12 – Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma will appear before a Parliamentary Committee at 4pm on Thursday to answer questions surrounding reports that a nominee with dual citizenship who had been vetted for an ambassadorial position has already been deployed without relinquishing the citizenship of United States.

CS Juma who was to answer questions by lawmakers Thursday morning but requested the Jeremiah Kioni-led Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee to push the session to 4pm.

She is expected to set the record straight surrounding Mwende Mwinzi’s nomination for an ambassadorial posting to Kenya’s High Commission in Soul, South Korea.

The session follows unverified reports that Mwinzi who is both a Kenyan and US citizen has already presented her credentials in South Korea despite the recommendations by the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee who vetted her and advised that she denounces her US citizenship before taking up the job.

House Speaker Justin Muturi on Tuesday directed the Kioni-led committee to expedite the probe on the matter and report back to the House once the claims have been ascertained.

The House’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee had upon vetting Mwende Mwinzi (pictured) recommended that she renounces her US citizenship before she is posted to the Kenyan High Commission in Soul, South Korea/FILE – COURTESY 

Endebess MP Robert Pukose had raised the issue on Tuesday claiming that he had obtained reports that the Mwingi West Jubilee parliamentary aspirant in the 2017 election had disregarded the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee recommendations on her suitability to take up the job.

“Information available is that the said nominee intends to take up the appointment without renouncing her citizenship to the Unites States of America notwithstanding the conditions set by Parliament,” he said.

Pukose said actions by the Foreign Office would damage the reputation of the House, in particular the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee, who in their recommendations advised Mwinzi to denounce her US citizenship or decline the job all together.

“It’s upon the chairpersons of the respective departmental committees to confirm this reports and report back to the House,” he said.

CS Monica in August this year presided over the induction of the cohort of ambassadors appointed in July, including Mwinzi.

Mwinzi is the founder of Twili Foundation, a charitable organization running programmes for needy and vulnerable children in Kitui county.

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While pronouncing himself on the matter, Speaker Justin Muturi directed the Richard Kenta-led Implementation Committee to fast track their findings and inform the House on the authenticity of the reports on the alleged deployment of Mwinzi.

“Since the House has resolved itself in a particular way, the Committee on Implementation should address the issue and advise the Executive particularly those responsible for the appointment on the constitutionality of the nominee taking up the role,” he ruled.

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