NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 14 – National Assembly has approved the nomination of Dorcas Oduor and Beatrice Askul as Attorney General and East African Community Affairs Cabinet Secretary nominees.
The two nominees who were vetted on Friday last week now await their swearing in.
MPs approved the appointment of the duo in support of the Committee on Appointments report declaring them suitable for the posts.
National Assembly’s Minority Leader Junet Mohammed while moving the motion for consideration of the nominees affirmed that the appointment of the two nominees was suitable for the posts as they understood the assignment.
“They articulated clear visions for their offices. Askul is a career civil servant with vast experience on social governance of arid and semi-arid lands. Dorcas is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 15 years’ experience and distinguished legal practitioner,” Mohammed said.
Nyando MP Jared Okello echoed the sentiments by the Minority Leader saying he is confident they will perform in their respective dockets.
“I have full confidence in these two ladies that I have known so well over the years that their dockets that have been given to them will have what we call a rapid flight towards progress. Therefore, I support and I congratulate these two wonderful women,” he said.
Gatanga MP Edward Muriu exuded confidence on Odour’s suitability saying he has worked with her as a commercial practitioner since she joined the Attorney General chambers as a state counsel.
“She has grown through the ladder. Therefore, she knows all the cracks and corners in the AG chambers. The AG chambers is the largest law-firm, it requires somebody who has got the intricacies of the running of that organization,” Muriu stated.
Homabay Woman Representative Joyce Bensouda lauded President William Ruto for recognizing academics and women of substance in his cabinet who she believes will be effective.
“Gone are the days where women thought that their bottom powers can make them rise to power. And we are saying that we are not on occasions where women thought that either through sex they can rise to power,” she noted.
Loima MP Protus Akuja thanked the President for allowing marginalized communities to serve in his cabinet through the appointment of Askul to serve as East Africa Cabinet affairs cabinet secretary.
“I am saying us, those of us from the marginalised communities, those of us from ASAL areas. What we need is opportunities of this nature to be able to show our ability, to be able to serve Kenyans and portray the regional balance, portray the diversity of the Republic of Kenya in the service of the country,” he said.
During her vetting, Oduor told the National Assembly Appointment Committee that her vast experience makes her fit to be appointed AG.
Oduor boasted of her 30 years’ experience where she served in the State Law Office and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in which she is currently serving as the Deputy Director of Public Prosecution.
Her legal career started in 1992 when she was admitted to the role of advocate of the High Court where she was employed to serve at the state law office, rising from the position to that of the secretary public prosecutions.
In the 2017, she was placed at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as a result of the delinking of prosecution from the Office of the Attorney General in 2017 following the 2010 constitution.
“I have gained extensive experience and expertise throughout that period. Not only have I been involved in many complex courtrooms and high profile cases, I’ve also made significant contributions in the formulation of policy and other protocols relevant to the rule of law,” she said.
The Attorney General nominee indicated that she is aware of the enormity of the responsibility in the AG’s office.
She noted that high legal concepts are still evolving through the growing jurisprudence in our courts and internationally.
“The position of the Attorney General calls for far much more than just that of an advocate for one client, the public interest demands of the office the duty to respect advocate and operationalize at all cadres of the administration,” Oduor noted.
The nominee will make history as the first woman Attorney General appointed into office if she found suitable by the vetting committee chaired by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula.
