Former Treasury PS Thugge among six shortlisted for CBK governor position

Former Treasury PS Kamau Thugge. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Former National Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge is among six candidates shortlisted for the position of governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

The others seeking to replace Dr Patrick Njoroge whose term ends in June, are Adan Abdalla, Nancy Onyango, Edward Sambili, Haron Sirima, and Dorcas Mutonyi.

Both Sambili and Sirima have had stints at CBK. In 2015, they were among the five candidates shortlisted to replace then governor Njuguna Ndung'u, who is the current Treasury CS.

In a notice dated Wednesday, May 3, the Public Service Commission indicated that interviews will be conducted on May 9, 2023, at the Public Service Commission House, along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi.

"Members of the public are invited to avail any credible information of interest relating to any of the shortlisted candidates (through sworn affidavits) to the Secretary/CEO, Public Service Commission," reads the notice by PSC.

Thugge served as Treasury Principal Secretary before he was hounded out of office in 2020 over charges of abuse of office, conspiracy to defraud, and engaging in a project without planning. The charges were, however, dropped in 2021.

Nancy Onyango boasts of vast experience in business administration. She is the Director of the Office of Internal Audit and Inspection at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She has also worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the UK, Europe, Asia, and East Africa.

Also in the lineup is economist Sambili, a former deputy governor of CBK. Sambili is also the former Principal Secretary for Planning National Development and Vision 2030.

Dr Njoroge, who has been at the helm of the CBK for eight years, is expected to exit on June 17, 2023.

PSC has also shortlisted ten candidates for the position of chairperson of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), including Maurice Odhiambo, Hussein Elema, Charles Githinji, and Esther Koimett, who served as Investment Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

Others are Paul Kuria, Felicity Nkirote, Thomas Ludindi, Mary Wanyonyi, John Njeru, and Moses Lessonet.

Interviews for the position of CRA chairman are slated for May 10 and May 11.