A four-day vetting process that concluded on Sunday revealed how Cabinet returnees significantly increased their wealth during their brief tenures in ministerial positions.
President William Ruto appointed nominees for his second Cabinet after dissolving the first on July 11, with eight individuals returning despite public calls for a fresh Cabinet. The nominees were presented before a parliamentary Committee on Appointments for questioning from Thursday, August 1, and were required to declare their net worth.
The first returnee to appear before the committee was Interior CS nominee Kithure Kindiki, who reported a Ksh.150 million increase in his net worth since his initial appointment as CS in October 2022. Kindiki, who held the same position previously, stated that his wealth rose from Ksh.544 million to Ksh.694 million, attributing the growth to income from his law firm.
Next was Defence nominee Soipan Tuya, who announced that her net worth surged to Ksh.243 million, up from Ksh.156 million reported during her vetting for the Environment CS position in October 2022. Tuya attributed this substantial increase to the appreciation of her assets over the past 21 months.
Environment CS nominee Aden Duale appeared before the committee on Friday and declared a Ksh.129 million increase in his net worth, which rose from Ksh.851 million to Ksh.980 million. Duale informed the committee that his assets included parcels of land, a cattle ranch, and rental properties.
Roads and Transport CS nominee Davis Chirchir disclosed a Ksh.27.6 million increase in his wealth, bringing his current net worth to Ksh.509.8 million, up from Ksh.482 million declared during the 2022 vetting process.
Despite attempting to downplay her wealth increase, Tourism CS nominee Rebecca Miano reported a Ksh.47 million rise in her net worth, from Ksh.397 million to Ksh.444 million. Miano clarified that she had not acquired any new assets since 2022, and the increase was due to the appreciation of her existing properties.
Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports CS nominee Kipchumba Murkomen, who previously served in the Roads ministry, reported a 12.73 percent increase in his net worth. From Ksh.550 million declared in 2022, Murkomen now has Ksh.620 million. “After I was approved as Transport minister, I took a mortgage of Ksh.40 million and invested it,” Murkomen explained to the committee on Saturday.
On Sunday, Public Service Cabinet Secretary nominee Justin Muturi stated that his net worth experienced “a slight adjustment,” rising from Ksh.761 million, declared during his vetting for the Attorney-General post, to Ksh.801 million.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary nominee Alfred Mutua reported an increase of Ksh.42 million since his last vetting in 2022. He attributed this growth to rising land values and the expansion of his industries, bringing his net worth from Ksh.420 million to Ksh.462 million.
Kindiki recorded the highest increase among the nominees, with a rise of Ksh.150 million, followed by Aden Duale with Ksh.129 million. Mutua had the lowest increment at Ksh.42 million, the same as his counterpart Rebecca Miano.
The total net worth of all Cabinet nominees, including newcomers, amounts to Ksh.14.7 billion, with individual wealth distributed as follows.
