By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
It has been over a year since President Uhuru Kenyatta handed over power to his successor – William Ruto.
Uhuru served as Kenya’s fourth President for two terms – with Ruto as his deputy.
Over the 10 years of his reign, the former President appointed several individuals to serve as Cabinet Secretaries.
When he exited office, only a few of those managed to make it back to Ruto’s cabinet.
They include Davis Chirchir who was sacked by Uhuru and Simon Chelugui who served during the second term of the Jubilee government.
But while only a few are back in government, many had to find other jobs to do, either locally or globally.
Some were lucky to secure lucrative jobs with international organizations.
They include:
Joe Mucheru
Mucheru served as the ICT Cabinet Secretary in the second term of Uhuru’s regime.
After the new government took over, the IT expert was appointed global president of London-based fintech – Jumo.
Jumo is a London-based fintech company that provides digital financial services such as loans, savings, and insurance products to emerging markets.
It partners with mobile network operators and financial institutions to bring financial services to underbanked populations in developing countries. JUMO’s mission is to increase financial inclusion and drive economic growth in these regions.
Sharing news of his new appointment, the former CS said: “I am hugely excited to be joining a business that is helping capital providers make attractive returns at the same time as supporting measurable impact.
Amina Mohammed
She served in various cabinet positions under the retired President Uhuru Kenya among them the Sports, Foreign Affairs and Education dockets.
At some point, Amina Mohammed was fronted by Kenya for the Africa Union (AU) chairperson position. She was however unsuccessful.
In December 2023, she was named Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sports, Enterprise, and Development.
“I am truly honoured and grateful to the Governing Board for this appointment and the opportunity to contribute to the work of a highly respected organisation. It is a privilege to be part of a most distinguished team and thankful for your confidence in me,” the former CS said while accepting the new role.
Najib Balala
Balala has been branded as the longest-serving CS, having served during the era of the late President Mwai Kibaki and the two terms of Uhuru.
His last role was in the tourism docket.
In November 2022, Balala landed a new job at the international wildlife conservation charity, Fauna and Flora International.
He was named the vice president of the organisation, which protects threatened species and ecosystems worldwide.
A year later, the veteran Coast leader was appointed by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change(TBI) as a Tourism advisor.
“Honoured to have been appointed by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) as a Tourism Advisor; part of a global team of political strategists, policy experts, and delivery practitioners who work with governments and political leaders around the world to drive change,” Balala said in a post on his verified X handle.
Some other CS are said to have returned to academia while others are actively involved in politics.
Such an individual is Eugene Wamalwa who is the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader.
Wamalwa served as Water and Devolution CSs during the Uhuru era.
For others like former Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i, Health’s Mutahi Kagwe and Cecily Kariuki, whatever they are engaged in remains private for now.
Joseph Kinyua, a man who served as the Head of Public Service and cabinet secretary since 2013 is also among those that landed a job, although locally.
Kinyua, a career civil servant was in March 2023 elected to chairperson KCB Group Plc Board with immediate effect.