Kenyans on social media have reacted after it emerged that Deputy President William Ruto’s daughter June Ruto serves as Kenya’s Charge D’Affaires in Poland.
The information emerged as Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma posted photos with June as she received her in Warsaw where she is on a diplomatic trip.
“Arrived in Warsaw, Poland this morning to attend the Warsaw Summit which will be looking at security in the Middle East, taking place tomorrow. Was received by June Ruto, Charge D’Affaires,” Juma posted on Twitter.
The tweet brought back similar questions that arose in 2014 when June joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – with rumours flying around that she was Kenya’s envoy to Poland.
Charge D'Affaires roles
The Ministry and Ruto’s office both denied the rumours but did not specify her role or rank.
“It is not true that she has been posted as a deputy ambassador. In fact, she is a very junior officer working as an international relations and trade officer under the America directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” a ministry official said at the time.
Her current role, however, is one of the senior most ranks in foreign service as a Charge D’Affaires heads an embassy in the absence of the ambassador.
Kenya does not have an official embassy in Poland meaning June’s is Kenya’s highest-ranking diplomat in the European country.
June holds a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia and a bachelor degree in Diplomacy from the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi.