Politics
Kenya: Newly inaugurated Kenyatta nominates technocrats to his cabinet
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (l) with his deputy William Ruto (r) as he makes his cabinet nominations announcement. PHOTO/Billy Mutai
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta made his first nominations to cabinet since assuming office this month and recommended Finance Ministry official Henry Rotich to lead the Kenyan treasury.
Kenyatta’s appointments, which require the approval of lawmakers, are the first under a 2010 constitution which removed a requirement that cabinet members must be elected legislators. The remaining 14 Cabinet nominations will be made shortly, he told reporters today in the capital, Nairobi.
“When we conclude this process, we will put in place a government that can deliver,” Kenyatta said.
Rotich, 44, has been the head of macroeconomics at the Treasury since 2006 and helped prepare national budgets. Rotich worked for the Central Bank of Kenya starting in 1994 and also served with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kenyatta said.
Kenyatta pledged to create a cabinet staffed by professionals in their respective spheres instead of political appointees as had largely been the case under the previous system requiring that cabinet members be members of parliament.
Technocrats Nominated
James Macharia, Group CEO National Insurance Corp. (NIC) Bank was nominated to lead the Health Ministry. A career banker and accountant, he previously was CEO of the African Banking Corp. and worked with Standard Chartered Plc.
Kenyatta recommended United Nations Assistant Secretary- General and UN Environment Program Deputy Executive Director Amina Mohamed to head the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Ms. Mohamed, a lawyer, diplomat and former permanent secretary to the Justice Ministry, was Kenya’s candidate to lead the World Trade Organization until her elimination a few days ago.
Fred Matiani, a professor who has worked with the World Bank and UN Development Program, was nominated to lead the Information, Communication and Technology ministry.
Source: Bloomberg