Fact Check: Social media list is fake, no ambassadors appointed – PSC
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has said that a list purporting to show who has been appointed as Kenya’s ambassadors is fake.
The list was circulating on social media this week, claiming that the PSC had shortlisted 20 candidates for the ambassadorial posts.
The fake list is dated Wednesday, May 10, 2023 and the Commission has dismissed it and urged Kenyans to disregard it.
“Notice: Please disregard the fake list of appointed ambassadors. We wish to inform the public that this list is fake and should be treated as such,” it said.
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We would like to inform the public that this list is fake and should be treated as such.
— Public Service Commission (PSC) (@PSCKenya) May 10, 2023
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat representing a state, usually accredited to another sovereign state or an international organisation as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign, or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.
The PSC said it remains committed to ensuring transparency and fairness for all candidates in any recruitment process it undertakes.
The Commission added that all announcements related to the selection of candidates will be made through the Commission’s official channels.
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The latest fake list of appointments comes months after another fake list of 21 people purportedly appointed as Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs) by Kenyan President William Ruto was flagged.
The fake list, allegedly signed by Ruto on 18 February 2023, included people who lost various elective seats in the 9 August 2022 general election.
A month later, the President formally appointed 50 Principal Secretaries who had been nominated for the positions.
The appointments came after the National Assembly failed to vet the nominees, citing a lack of constitutional authority to carry out the exercise.
State House spokesman Hussein Mohammed said in a statement that following the memorandum, the president had effectively appointed the nominees to various ministries as earlier notified.
“To facilitate the swearing in of the Principal Secretaries, the state appointees will now take their solemn oath of office,” Mr Mohammed said.
Although the Constitution limits the number of ministries to 22, the position of CAS, which was created by Dr Ruto’s predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, does not limit the President.
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