Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has declined a job offer extended to him by President William Ruto, wherein Rotich was appointed as the Senior Adviser on Fiscal Affairs and Budget Policy.
The appointment, conveyed in a letter from the Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei, was met with a decision by Rotich to turn down the role, as reported by a local newspaper on Friday.
In an interview , the former CS expressed gratitude for the appointment but stated his belief that he could serve the country more effectively if he returned to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), where he had previously served for several years.
“I thank the president for appointing me to be among his advisers. I, however, think I’d be of better service to the country if I go back to CBK where I worked for many years,” Rotich conveyed.
Should he be deployed to CBK, Rotich would serve under his former junior, Kamau Thugge, who was the Treasury PS during Rotich’s tenure as PS.
Rotich, previously heading Macroeconomics at the Treasury before ascending to Cabinet Secretary in 2013, was relieved from his position on January 14, 2020, following legal proceedings in which he was a defendant.
Ukur Yatani took over until Ruto appointed Njuguna Ndung’u as Treasury CS in 2022.
The charges against Rotich, involving specific breaches under procurement and public finance management laws, were dropped by the court in December 2023 due to lack of evidence.
Trial Magistrate Eunice Nyutu stated there was insufficient evidence to warrant Rotich and other accused persons to stand trial.
“All the accused persons in this case are hereby acquitted under section 210 due to lack of evidence as a result of the reckless dereliction of duty by the prosecution,” the magistrate ruled.
Rotich holds a Master’s degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Sociology from the University of Nairobi.
