Nairobi — Former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has said her nomination as Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN-Habitat is a promotion, not a demotion, insisting she left the Ministry of Health with her head held high.
Speaking during her vetting before the National Assembly's Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, Nakhumicha dismissed claims that her exit from the Cabinet was a result of incompetence or failure.
"Having gone from a farmer to a Permanent Representative, I consider that a promotion. I don't see it as a demotion.I have been a very good farmer in Trans Nzoia County since my exit doing both livestock and crop farming. This new role is an honor,"she expressed.
She was responding to questioning from MPs over her tenure as Health CS, which was marred by a 56 day doctors' strike, a scandal surrounding the KEMSA mosquito net tender, and allegations of fraudulent NHIF claims.
Nakhumicha maintained she performed her duties diligently and was never reprimanded by President William Ruto despite the push for her removal from office.
"I was never reprimanded by my boss and never asked performance based questions. Every time I was called to the National Assembly or Senate to respond to questions, I never failed I responded to them satisfactorily," the nominee expressed.
She pointed to the national honors awarded to her during her time in office saying the accusations of incompetence against her are baseless.
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"To those who are saying I was incompetent, I was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH)the second highest honor in Kenya and the highest for a civilian. I was also recognized in other forums," she told the committee.
She attributed her exit from Cabinet to broader political events rather than personal shortcomings, specifically citing the Gen Z-led protests that shook the country and prompted a cabinet reshuffle.
"Not from a reason of my own making, the Gen Z movement was unprecedented in this country and the Cabinet was dissolved," she said.
Nakhumicha submitted before the MPs that her removal from office based on the challenges she faced in the docket are part of the nature of public service.
"Most jobs have occupational hazards, and as Cabinet Secretary, I would regard them as such. In this new post, there will be occupational hazards as well, and I will handle them with the advice I will be given,"she said.
