President William Ruto recalled France Ambassador Judi Wakhungu on Monday, June 26, under unclear circumstances.
A source in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs told Kenyans.co.ke that the decision to recall Wakhungu was arrived at after extensive discussions at the highest office in the land.
However, the source failed to divulge details of the discussion or the reason why the former Cabinet Secretary for Tourism was recalled before the appointment of her replacement.
"Of course, the President was involved in the decision to recall the Ambassador to France but as you may be aware, most Kenyan Embassies will soon receive new Heads.
"This is a normal occurrence within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially, when a new administration comes in to realign diplomatic relations," the source stated.
Wakhungu remained in office even though she served in former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration which elapsed in August 2022.
Her recall came just four days after President William Ruto visited France where he was hosted by President Emmanuel Macron during a panel discussion in Paris.
Kenyan Embassy in Paris, including Ambassador Wakhungu, played a significant role in the arrangement and management of the issues presented by a delegation to the New Global Financial Pact.
According to reports, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei confirmed the recall stating that a number of Kenyan diplomats will be arriving back in the country.
Wakungu was appointed as Ambassador to France by Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 26, 2018, after serving as a Tourism Cabinet Secretary for five years.
The process of appointing Kenyan ambassadors begins with the nomination by the President after which the list of nominees is submitted to the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations (DFDR) of the National Assembly.
The DFDR then invites the candidates for a vetting process of the nominees, which includes reviewing their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the positions.
DFDR Committee then forwards the names of the nominees for ratification or adoption by Members of Parliament. If the nominees are approved by the National Assembly, the President appoints them as ambassadors.
