Eric Wainaina @PeopleDailyKe
Until Monday this week, Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich who has been at the helm on the high profile docket since May 2013, was a poster of a successful professional in the financial sector and who many envied.
The Harvard University-trained economist has worked for reputable institutions both locally and internationally where he amassed experience before joining the Cabinet.
The CS holds a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, a Masters in Economics and a Bachelors Degree in Economics, both from University of Nairobi.
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Before becoming the CS, he worked at the research department of the Central Bank of Kenya and between 2001-2004, he was attached to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) office in Nairobi as an economist.
Rotich has also served as a director on several boards of State corporations, including; Insurance Regulatory Board and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
But his arrest on Monday over the Kimwarer and Arror dam’s tenders is threatening to not only disgrace his reputation but also bring his illustrious career to an abrupt end.
Rotich, Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge and his East African Community counterpart Susan Koech and other government officers were paraded in court yesterday over multi-billion graft in the two projects located in his backyard.
And based on the past precedence and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s warnings to graft lords, including his “closest political ally” who will be implicated in corruption that they carry the cross irrespective of their standing in society, Rotich could move from grace to grass.
Already, the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji is reported to have written to the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua (pictured) seeking to have all government officers linked to the scam leave office.
Other high profile government officials who have been reduced to almost nothing after being forced out of office include former Transport and Infrastructure CS Michael Kamau who is fighting to clear his name against charges of abuse of office.
Graft claims also brought the career of former Energy and Petroleum secretary Davis Chirchir to an abrupt end over his alleged role in corruption involving officials of the defunct Interim Independence Electoral Commission (IIEC).
Former Cabinet Secretaries, who however, survive the tide to remain afloat, either in government or in politics include Felix Kosgey who was forced out of the Agriculture ministry over graft allegations, Charity Ngilu who was the Lands CS and Labour CS Kazungu Kambi.
