Sarah Serem apologized on Thursday for stepping on the toes of MPs and others during her term as chair of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Serem said she was sorry when she faced the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee that vetted her for the position of Kenya’s ambassador to China. She was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The committee accused the candidate of not being a team player and having poor negotiation skills that they said contributed to the many cases of industrial action that the country has seen.
Members also said Serem is arrogant and does not deserve a position that requires diplomacy. They said questions will be asked on how she will treat Kenyan delegations to China.
“When given a job, I do my best and I do not give excuses for not doing my best. If that has not been interesting and if I have offended anyone in anyway, I am sorry but I meant well for Kenya and Kenyans,” she said.
Asked why she took over everything at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Serem said: “During my tenure, [it seemed] I was in complete control but I was only the spokesperson of the commission. Every conversation that came from the commission was occasioned by nights and days of activates including research and dialogue.”
Some of the MPs in the panel noted that the nominee’s background is in human resources yet she lacks diplomatic explanations on key issues.
Others accused her of not giving a valid reason on why she proposed a salary cut for legislators.
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