Ex-Treasury CS Henry Rotich rejects Ruto's appointment, reveals the job he wants

Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has explained his reasons for declining his appointment to government by President William Ruto earlier in the week.

Rotich who was acquitted in the multi-billion shillings dams scandal was appointed by the president to serve as Senior Advisor on Fiscal Affairs and Budget Policy.

Reports indicate that the former CS rejected the appointment, noting that he would be of value if deployed to the Central Bank of Kenya.

He noted that it is his firm conviction that serving at the CBK where he had a stint spanning close to 12 years will give him a better opportunity to serve the country.

Nonetheless, the former CS thanked the President for considering him to be among his advisors and noted that he would be of better service to the country he goes back to CBK where he worked for many years.

President William Ruto and former Treasury CS Henry Rotich President William Ruto and former Treasury CS Henry Rotich Pulse Live Kenya

Career at the Treasury and the Sh63Billion scandal

His career at the Treasury saw him serve as the head of Macroeconomics until 2013 when he was appointed Treasury Cabinet Secretary.

In 2019, Rotich found himself at the center of a high-profile legal battle that spanned several years, originating from allegations of corruption related to the construction of two dams; Arror and Kimwarer.

READ: Ruto appoints former CS Henry Rotich

He was subsequently charged alongside other senior officials for their alleged involvement in the misuse of public funds allocated for these projects and was sent packing on January 14, 2020.

Ukur Yattani replaced him as the Treasury CS.

Rotich's acquittal

After a long legal battle that spanned several years, Henry Rotich was acquitted of all charges.

The court's decision was based on the evaluation of evidence presented during the trial, where it was determined that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient proof to convict Rotich beyond a reasonable doubt.

Former Treasury CS Henry Rotich and former PS Kamau Thugge during a past court appearance Pulse Live Kenya

Magistrate Eunice Nyutu ruled that the evidence provided was insufficient.

"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," Nyutu ruled.