Former Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura has opened up on how the late President Mwai Kibaki blocked him from retiring in 2002 as initially planned.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, the former state official revealed that Kibaki enticed him with a job as Secretary to the Cabinet.
He would later be appointed as Head of Public Service in 2005, a position he held until 2012.
During the interview, the former state official revealed that contrary to speculation, he retired from public service in November 2022.
''Technically I should have retired at the end of the year 2002 when Kibaki was coming in but somehow they did not allow me to retire,'' Muthaura stated.
Even after serving under Kibaki in various roles, former President Uhuru Kenyatta would still tap him for various roles in his government.
Uhuru in June 2020 appointed him as the Chairperson of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport Corridor Project (LAPSSET) and later in the same month as Chairman of the Kenya Revenue Authority(KRA).
Muthaura, during the interview, defended his name after the International Criminal Court (ICC) listed him among 6 individuals suspected of organising and financing post-election violence in Kenya after the 2007 presidential election.
The former state official was accused alongside President William Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Inspector General Hussein Ali, former minister Henry Kosgey, and former radio presenter Joshua Arap Sang.
''I really believe that whatever we did was in the best interest of Kenyans and in accordance with the law and in the best interest of the country,'' Muthaura affirmed.
The former KRA Chairperson further opened up on his health condition revealing that he recently underwent a heart surgery in South Africa, expressing his gratitude for having come this far and remaining healthy to his 70s.
''I am encouraged by the will of God, I have gone through those serious types of tests in my life but somehow God has helped me to overcome,'' he quipped.
Conclusively, Muthaura posed that he counts himself lucky having served at the helm of Public Service for over two decades.
Muthaura has held prominent roles in Kenya's Public Service, including serving as Head of Public Service, KRA Chairperson, and LAPPSET Chairperson.
He has also in the past, held Permanent Secretary positions in various ministries.
Additionally, he has represented Kenya as an envoy to London, the EU, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the United Nations in New York.
Muthaura also played key roles in regional diplomacy, serving as the Founder Executive Secretary and later Secretary General of the EAC.
