President William Ruto continued with his streak of awarding loyalists by appointing former Kajiado South MP, Katoo ole Metito, as State House comptroller.
Metito was floored by ODM's, Joseph Ole Lenku, in Kajiado gubernatorial race in the Tuesday, August 9 polls.
In a notice released by the outgoing Head of Public Service, Joseph Kinyua, on Friday, October 14, Metito was confirmed as the new State House Comptroller taking over from Kinuthia Mbugua, who served during former President Uhuru Kenyatta's reign.
Metito's role equals that of Principal Secretaries as he will be charged with managing finances and administration at the State House.
The former MP will also perform additional duties as Ruto's private secretary. He will be responsible for handling Ruto's diary and other functions of a private secretary.
Metito, who served as Kajiado South MP for two consecutive terms since 2013, will also ensure that all functions ranging from transport, security, communication, catering and general administration are properly executed.
His role as State House Comptroller is vital in ensuring Ruto delivers on his mandate.
Any lapse in executing this duty may affect the general delivery of the head of state.
Additionally, the State House Comptroller will also work in tandem with Ruto's doctor to ensure that his health checks are scheduled and undertaken.
Moreover, Metito will also take full responsibility for ensuring that State House is well supplied with all commodities to meet Ruto's preferences.
Metito, while executing his roles, will work with Felix Koskei, the newly appointed Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service.
Former Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, the Deputy Chief of Staff, will also collaborate with him to ensure the proper execution of assigned duties at the State House.
According to the former State House Comptroller, Franklin Bett, the position is among the most powerful in the country as the holder interacts with the President on a more personal level.
"When you get to that position, there is the feeling of having achieved your full potential because the person you are serving and the tasks involved are the ultimate challenges for any civil servant in the country," he stated in a past interview.
Metito's Profile
Metito was first elected into the National Assembly in 2003. He rose to serve as an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the late retired President Mwai Kibaki's tenure.
According to Parliament website, Metito served as majority whip between 2013 and 2017 in the National Assembly.
Metito holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nairobi (UoN). The former Kajiado South legislator also graduated with a Higher Diploma in Management of Information Systems at Strathmore University.