Kenya: Social Media Posts Falsely Claim Former Kenyan Cabinet Secretaries Have Been Appointed Ambassadors

Presidential Communication Service
New Cabinet Secretaries take oath at State House, Nairobi, after President William Ruto.
16 August 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Grace Gichuhi

Social media posts falsely claim former Kenyan cabinet secretaries have been appointed ambassadors

IN SHORT: Several Facebook posts claim that Aisha Jumwa, Ababu Namwamba and Moses Kuria are newly appointed envoys after being sacked as ministers. But there's no official record of this, and both Kuria and Namwamba have denied the claims.

According to Facebook posts, Kenya's former cabinet secretary for public service Aisha Jumwa has been appointed as the country's new ambassador to Switzerland.

The posts also allege that Ababu Namwamba, the former youth affairs minister, and Moses Kuria, the former trade minister, have been appointed as envoys.

Jumwa, Namwamba, and Kuria were removed from their posts as cabinet secretaries on 11 July 2024, when president William Ruto dissolved his cabinet following nationwide protests.

The demonstrations were sparked by the 2024 Finance Bill, which included controversial proposals to raise taxes. The bill faced significant opposition, particularly from young people, who felt that it would be detrimental to their economic interests.

A new "broad-based" cabinet was sworn in on 8 August. The three ministers in the circulating claim were not retained.

The post also appears here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)

But were the former ministers appointed ambassadors to give them a soft political landing? We checked.

No such appointments

In Kenya, official ambassadorial appointments are published in the Kenya Gazette, the government's official publication for legal notices and appointments.

The gazette is published weekly, usually every Friday, with special editions for urgent announcements. However, the Kenya National Council for Law Reporting's website, which tracks legislation and gazette notices, does not list such notices.

Both Kuria and Namwamba denied the allegations as false on their Facebook pages.

Kuria said: "It has come to my attention that false information regarding my appointment as the Ambassador to Ukraine is being circulated by various bloggers. I would like to clarify and assure everyone that the credible and accurate details about any new appointment will only be shared through my official Facebook page Hon.CS Moses Kuria and my verified X (formerly Twitter) account @HonMoses_Kuria."

"Upuuuus reloaded!!" wrote Namwamba. This translates to "Nonsense reloaded!!"

The false claim has also been posted here, here, here, here, here and here.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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