Net worth of Uhuru's latest appointees revealed

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe is the richest of the seven fresh appointees in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Cabinet.

The CS declared his net worth at Sh667 million, putting him ahead of his colleagues with whom he joined the Cabinet on February 28.

Also appointed was Betty Maina as Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary, PSs Solomon Kitungu (Trade), Simon Nabukwesi (Higher Education), Julius Juan (Vocational Training), Mary Kimonye (Public Service) and Enosh Momanyi (Physical Planning).

Kagwe stated he earned Sh2.6 million in 2019 from his firm TNS RMS (East Africa) Ltd, Sh2.8 million from Tell-Em Public Relations (EA) Ltd and Sh218,750 from TNS RMS East Africa Ltd in 2020.

Kimonye declared that she was worth Sh242.8 million having deducted Sh31 million in liabilities.

Nabukwesi on the other hand declared that his net worth is approximately Sh76 million, part of it being Sh6 million in salaries he earned prior to his appointment.

Juan, the Vocational PS, said he was about Sh80 million rich, some of which he earned in salaries for the year prior to his nomination.

He also got income from sugarcane farming and allowances as board chairman and from Kenya National Examinations Council.

Transport PS Kitungu said his net worth is about Sh100.7 million of which farms constitute Sh15 million.

He has rental houses of about Sh23 million, shares of about Sh1 million, a rural home worth Sh6 million, Nairobi home at Sh60 million, cars of Sh1.1 million and a Sh7 million bank loan.

Momanyi declared his net worth to be Sh17 million, being Sh15.4 million in non-cash assets and Sh2.4 million in cash at bank. He earned Sh5.6 million a year to his appointment.

State officers are required by the Public Officers Ethics Act to declare their wealth before resuming office and once every two years.

The endgame is to ward off elements of corruption that may eat into someone’s responsibility in running state affairs.

Uhuru asked the new appointees during their swearing in to fight corruption and eradicate cartels in the ministries they were appointed to.

Section 26 of the Act requires such a declaration to include income, assets and liabilities of state officer, his spouse or spouses.

Such a person's dependent children under the age of 18 years are also declared in efforts to allow the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to detect and prevent corruption when top public servants are serving in office.

The declaration is among those that Parliament checks before approving a nominee for public office.