The Director General of the Public Debt Management Unit at the National Treasury Haron Sirima, has quit.
Sirima's exit was confirmed after the Public Service Commission (PSC), which oversees the hiring of civil servants, put out an advert inviting applications for various positions including Sirima's.
Haron Sirima, a former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Deputy Governor who was picked to head the unit in 2018 after being overlooked for the CBK Governor role, had in an interview with a local publication confirmed his exit. He however failed to disclose more details surrounding the development.
The PSC advert asked interested applicants looking to replace Sirima to submit their applications by February 13, 2024.
Although Sirima did not reveal why he had left, speculation is rife that his exit has been prompted by differences with the Kenya Kwanza administration over repayment of a Eurobond taken out by the Jubilee government.
Kenya is racing against time to repay the Eurobond which matures in July 2024.
President William Ruto had on November 9, while giving a State of the Nation address promised that half of the debt would be repaid by December 2023.
“We have worked hard, at home and further abroad, to mobilise a broad coalition of bilateral development partners, multilateral development banks and other agencies, which have rallied to pull our country back from the brink of debt distress,” Ruto stated.
However, Sirima disputed the statement, giving his opinion that Kenya was not in a position to make half the payment within the timeframe that President Ruto had stipulated.
On December 28 2023, the National Treasury, however, confirmed that it had paid $68.7 million (Sh10.8 billion) interest due on the $2 billion (Sh312 billion) loan. The development came one day after the government shelved plans to make an advance payment of the principal before the end of 2023.
At the same time, Sirima vacated his public debt management role, news emerged that Pamela Mutua has also left her position as the Managing Director of the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) amid a Ksh16.5 billion edible oils case that detectives are investigating at the agency.
Her position was also declared vacant alongside Sirima's on the Tuesday post.
