Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya) have condemned President William Ruto’s decision to appoint former Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich as an advisor on financial matters.
The Non-Governmental Organisations, through a joint press statement released on Friday, January 9, noted that the decision posed a great risk to taxpayers’ money, citing Rotich’s previous court cases.
“Continued appointment of individuals not fully cleared of corruption charges is a mockery of the constitution,” they noted.
Further referencing Chapter 6 of the Kenyan Constitution on leadership integrity, the organisations accused the President of banishing laws set to govern the country, which fails to protect the citizen’s finances.
“The appointing authorities have essentially sent Chapter 6 of the Constitution on leadership and integrity to Coventry by appointing Rotich to a role in the President's office, hinting that Kenyans can lose up to KSh63 billion without consequences,” the organizations noted.
The organisations highlighted previous cases involving leaders currently holding government positions, including Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and 9 others in the Ksh7.3 billion graft case, Communications Authority of Kenya chairperson Mary Wambui in the Ksh2.2 billion tax evasion case and Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action Aisha Jumwa in the Ksh19 million graft case.
“It is no wonder it took just 56 days for Rotich to find a new home inside the Office of the President. We ask President Ruto to promptly revoke this appointment with respect to the Constitution,” they noted.
The joint statement, therefore, recommended that leaders with court cases be fully processed through the criminal justice system to ensure accountability for public funds, as their appointments are jeopardising the country’s future.
“Rotich, like others who have benefited from the withdrawal of cases and prosecution-abetted acquittals, should be fully processed through the criminal justice,” the statement reads.
Ruto, on Thursday, appointed Henry Rotich to offer advice on the management of the economy and public finances, a position previously held by the current Central Bank Governor Kamau Thugge.
Rotich was in 2019 laid off as the Treasury CS by former President Uhuru Kenyatta after he was arrested alongside 8 others in a Ksh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams case.
The former CS was acquitted in December last year after Magistrate Eunice Nyutu concluded a lack of enough evidence, dropping the charges.
"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," she ruled at the time.
