4 Kenyans who have rejected Uhuru’s job offer
No to presidential appointment
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But not for these four Kenyans who are on record rejecting nomination to plum Government jobs by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
1. Engineer John Okuna Ogango
Engineer John Okuna Ogango is the latest nominee to reject an ambassadorial offer by President Kenyatta.
Ogango declined to be vetted by the parliamentary committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, citing personal reasons.
He is a former Director-General of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority.
2. Abdikadir Mohamed
Ogango's rejection comes days after former Mandera Central MP and President Kenyatta’s constitutional and Legal Affairs Advisor Abdikadir Mohamed also turned down a similar offer.
Mr. Mohammed was nominated to be Kenya’s ambassador to South Korea but he politely said no to the offer.
Though he never made his reasons public, close sources divulged that he did so on personal grounds which included concern for his young family, career mismatch fears and his passion for the private sector.
Abdikadir is not your ordinary politician as he is also the first MP to retire after serving for only one term.
3. Chris Okemo
Also on this list is former Finance Minister Chris Okemo who rejected an appointment to be a board member of the Kenya Seed Company.
He was offered the job by the President through former Agriculture Minister Felix Koskei.
Okemo attracted controversy as he was facing extradition, money laundering and misconduct in public office charges in the United Kingdom when the appointment was made.
Mr Kenyatta was criticized over the appointment by various lobby groups which translated it to his alleged reluctance to fight corruption in the country.
Mr. Okemo declined the offer stating: "I wish to sincerely thank His Excellency the President and the Government for considering me for the appointment. However, considering my case seeking to annul and quash the frivolous and baseless request for extradition, this will not be an opportune time to enter public service”.
4. General Mohammed Hussein Ali
Lastly, former Commissioner of Police Major General (Rtd) Mohammed Hussein Ali is reported to have declined an offer to be nominated the new Inspector General of Police.
According to the unverified reports carried on the Star, Mr. Ali was to take up the position instead of the current IG Joseph Boinnet.
It is said that Mr. Kenyatta’s advisor preferred Ali because of his high profile and bold nature which they said would streamline the National Police Service.
However the local daily reported that efforts to convince Mr. Ali, who faced crimes against humanity charges at the ICC after the 2007 General Election, failed.
The General was later acquitted at the Hague-based court.
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