On Monday, Simon Gicharu, a billionaire and the chairman of Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) rejected an appointment by Kiambu Governor, Ferdinand Waititu, to head a committee on pending bills.
On Friday, Waititu through his Finance CEC, Francis Kigo Njenga, published in the Kenya Gazette names of officials who would sit in the body to help clear a backlog of bills, some inherited from the administration of former governor, William Kabogo.
Gicharu revealed that he was never consulted by the governor or his government before his appointment.
"Basic courtesy should have dictated that they reach out to me before making such an announcement. At least by doing so, they would have gotten my views on whether I have the knowledge, skills and time to discharge such a task.
"That said, I will not be taking up the job," Gicharu, the founder of Mount Kenya University told Nation via phone.
Gicharu revealed that he had caught wind of the job after being notified by those who had seen it in the Kenya Gazette.
He further detailed that his work at REREC was demanding and could not allow him to have any distractions.
"We cannot afford any distractions at the moment when we are trying to align our focus with the President's big four agenda," he divulged.
However, while speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on phone, Waititu declined that he had offered the billionaire a job.
"We are not talking about Gicharu the billionaire, we offered the job to a one Gicharu who is a former KNUT (Kenya National Union of Teachers) official. He is excited about the offer.
"You know Gicharu is a common Kikuyu name," the Governer refuted.
Doing business with counties has become risky for contractors due to delays in payments, resulting in bankruptcy suits and social conflicts.
Waititu who is facing a court suit over embezzlement Ksh 588 million, set up parallel offices in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), in violation of court orders that placed his deputy, James Nyoro, in charge of Kiambu.
He thus is operating at the Koinange based offices.
