Mwende Mwinzi's appointment as the Kenyan Ambassador to South Korea has yet again sparked debate in parliament.
Mosop MP Vincent Tuwei raised the issue in parliament after Mwende assumed her role as Kenya’s Ambassador to South Korea despite the pending matter on her dual citizenship.
The MP urged Speaker Justin Muturi to address the matte and added that the National Assembly should not allocate money to the embassy in Seoul until the matter is solved.
Rarienda MP Otiende Amolo also questioned how Mwinzi was posted.
“I think this is a very important issue, where the law says that the appointment can only take effect by the approval of this House,” the MP said.
He took issue with the fact that a court had made a ruling over the appointment, terming it a mistake.
“There can be no other way around it. If The House rejects, there is no other legal process where one can end up being appointed,” Otiende said.
Mwende presented her credentials to South Korea’s President Moon Jae-In on Wednesday, February 17, marking the beginning of her tenure as Kenya’s representative to the country.
In 2019, she was nominated by President Kenyatta for the position, but the National Assembly demanded that she denounce her American Citizenship before she can hold the position.
She moved to the High Court to stop the MPs from forcing her to renounce her American Citizenship. The court noted that an ambassador is not a state officer, but a public officer and therefore is not required to renounce once citizenship.
Kenyans have taken to social media to congratulate Mwende and wished her all the best as she starts this new step of her career.
“Those who are patient, God sees them through. You will be one of our best Ambassadors,” Kivutha Kibwana, Makueni Governor, wrote on his twitter account.
