Ruto Appoints Ex-Treasury CS Henry Rotich As His Advisor

In his new role, Rotich will offer advice on the management of the economy and public finances.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Feb 8, 2024 - 13:24 Updated: Feb 8, 2024 - 13:27
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Ruto Appoints Ex-Treasury CS Henry Rotich As His Advisor
President William Ruto chats with former Treasury CS Henry Rotich. /DPPS

President William Ruto has appointed former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich to serve as his senior economic advisor.

According to reports, Rotich was appointed as the Senior Advisor on Fiscal Affairs and Budget Policy, his first government role since being fired by former President Uhuru Kenyatta as Treasury CS.

In his new role, Rotich will offer advice on the management of the economy and public finances.

Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich. /K24 DIGITAL

The position was previously held by the current Central Bank Governor Kamau Thugge since October 2022. Thugge had been appointed to the position by former Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.

Before he was appointed a Cabinet Secretary in 2013, Rotich was the head of Macroeconomics at the Treasury. He was removed from this position on January 14, 2020, and was replaced by Ukur Yatani.

On December 14, 2023, Rotich was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Arror and Kimwarer Scandal. A Nairobi anti-corruption court acquitted him on the Arror and Kimwarer dam graft case for lack of evidence, even though the taxpayer lost Ksh63 billion.

In her ruling, Milimani Magistrate Eunice Nyutu freed Rotich and his eight co-accused of all the 30 corruption charges after the prosecution failed to prove them.

"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," the ruling read in part.

The former CS alongside eight other individuals was arrested in July 2019 by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for embezzling funds that were meant for the two dams.

Rotich was arrested by Police after the then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji ordered his arrest for flouting procurement laws and awarding the construction of the two dams to an Italian firm.

"It was established that the conception, procurement and payment process for the dam projects were riddled with massive illegalities," Haji stated at the time.

The former CS was charged with a total of 19 counts, including unlawfully executing loan agreements totalling £578,309,578 to finance the construction of the Arror and Kimwarer multipurpose dams.

One of the charges stated that Rotich used his office to improperly confer the benefit of contractual rights to the joint venture formed outside Kenya by two Italian suppliers- Cooperativa Muratori & Cementisti (CMC di Ravenna) and Itinera S.p.A.

There was drama during the trial as the prosecution declined to question 41 witnesses who testified in the case, with the magistrate calling out the prosecutors for their conduct.

On March 14, 2023, President William Ruto announced that the talks surrounding the construction of the Kimwarer, Arror and Itare dams in the North Rift Valley part of Kenya were revived following a meeting with President Sergio Mattarella of Italy at State House Nairobi.

Past construction of Arror and Kimwarer dams project. /FILE

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