David Ndii speaks on joining Uhuru cabinet
Renowned economist David Ndii has explained why he cannot accept the position of Treasury Cabinet Secretary, even if it was offered to him by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Dr Ndii said he had learnt from the predicaments of John Githongo, who was forced into exile in 2004 after attempting to fight corruption in the Narc administration.
His comment was prompted by a Twitter user who recommended that Treasury CS Henry Rotich be sacked and the job given to Dr Ndii.
“Replacing Treasury CS with @DavidNdii can help govt not to continue making mistakes. I strongly believe we need an individual who understands Public Finance at a powerful ministry like Treasury. Treasury and KRA should work closely in budgeting too,” wrote Barongo M. Haron.
But the economist retorted: “Short story. My fren @johngithongo calls in my house one morning in 2003. He’d been asked to become Kibaki’s anti-graft czar. We debate and agree he accept. To cut a long story short, he ends up in exile, a kikuyu traitor, living with bodyguards for years. Not boarding.”
Dr Githongo was appointed the Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics in January 2003 by president Kibaki, who had been elected on an anti-corruption platform.
He quit on February 7, 2005, while in the United Kingdom after facing resistance and threats from power government officials implicated in the multi-billing-shilling Anglo-Leasing scandal.