Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has dismissed the narrative claiming that his latest nomination to serve as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, is a demotion.
Appearing before the departmental committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations on Friday, January 10, 2025, Ababu explained that he considered the nomination as a reassignment rather than a drop of rank in President William Ruto’s administration.
The former Sports CS articulated with a lot of passion why he was best fit to represent Kenya at the negotiating table in UNEP indicating that his professional experience and academic credentials were enough to help him serve in the post.
Further, he cited his various achievements in the Ministry of Sports arguing that he elevated the docket to become an economic resource.
Some the achievements he listed included deliberate investment in infrastructure (rehabilitation of Kasarani Stadium and building of the Talanta Hela Stadium) and helping to win the hosting rights of AFCON 2027 and CHAN tournament slated for February 2025.
“It is a critical diplomatic station, absolutely critical. Today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is seized of the most critical agenda to address what is an existential threat to humanity.
“Would I consider consider being handed an assignment to represent Kenya in that space a demotion? No, I would consider it a re-assignment. I believe I am almost tailor-made for this position given my learning, intellectual capacity, my experience, my exposure, my globalness and I believe that this is a role that I would execute very well without requiring any extra motivation,” Ababu Namwamba said during the vetting exercise.
