Veronica Nduva set for swearing-in as EAC Secretary-General on Friday
Tuesday June 04 2024
Kenya’s Principal Secretary Ministry of Gender and Affirmative Action, Veronica Nduva speaks during the International Domestic Workers Day at Pride Inn in Nairobi, Kenya on June 16, 2023. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
President William Ruto’s nominee for the Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), Veronica Nduva, will be sworn in on Friday during the bloc’s Heads of State Summit.
Kenya’s nominee judge for the East African Court of Justice Zablon Muruka Mokua will also be appointed to the First Instance Division on the same day.
Mr Mokua, a former member of the County Assembly of Kisii for Bassi Central Ward, will replace Charles Nyachae who resigned early this year.
“EAC Heads of State are set to convene virtually for the 23rd Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State, on Friday, 7th June 2024,” a statement from the EAC Secretariat reads.
In addition to the two appointments, the leaders will consider the report of the consultative meetings by the summit's chairperson, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, on partner states relations.
The summit is taking place at a time when the regional bloc is facing a critical cash crunch.
Many programmes of the EAC have stalled in the past few months due to the crisis blamed on non-remittance of dues amounting to about $40 million by partner States.
Read: EACJ suspends sessions as severe funding crisis hits
Only Kenya has up-to-date remittance records at the EAC. Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda have relatively small balances.
According to documents seen by The EastAfrican, some $39,883,765 from the partner States was outstanding as at May 17, 2024. Since then, only Burundi has contributed $600,000 of its $12.7 million due.
The change of guard at the EAC was triggered by the recall on March 8 of Peter Mathuki, who was besieged by legislators over accountability claims at the Secretariat.
Amid a crescendo of accusations of unauthorised expenditure by the regional legislative assembly, President William Ruto recalled Dr Mathuki and nominated him as Kenya’s ambassador to Russia. And Parliament cleared him to take up the new job.
Kenya first nominated Caroline Mwende Mueke for the post but replaced her in a last-minute U-turn with Ms Nduva, the Principal Secretary for Performance and Delivery Management in the Ministry of Public Service.
Read: Kenya local politics sway choice of new EAC boss
Mr Mokua, who is set to join the EACJ bench, is the subject of a court case in Kenya where the regional Bar, who cite contravention of Kenyan national laws, are questioning the manner and procedure of his nomination by President Ruto.
Read: Lawyers lobby fault nomination of Kenyan as judge to regional court