Why I Rejected Ruto’s Job Offer - Mukhisa Kituyi

Former UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi has claimed that he turned down job offers from President William Ruto’s administration.

In an interview on Wednesday, May 27, he said he had been approached several times about joining the government but dismissed the proposals.

Kituyi insisted that the administration had created an environment that discourages professional expertise, adding that he did not take them seriously when they were first presented to him.

"As of Ruto offering me a job, I was approached a number of times, but I laughed it off; I thought it was a silly joke. Ruto does not respect professionals in this government; that is why he drives out people like Ndung’u, former Treasury CS," he said.

Kituyi claimed that highly educated individuals are pressured to conform politically rather than professionally.

"If you have gone to school enough, you must reduce the evidence of having gone to school and sound like Sudi, then you are comfortable with him," he added.

Kituyi also faulted what he described as the growing influence of politicians in positions traditionally occupied by career experts and technocrats.

He said political appointments have increasingly replaced professional management structures within public service, affecting decision-making processes.

"One of the biggest disasters of government today is that politicians have replaced career professionals as the managers of public service. This nonsense of appointing politicians as advisors takes decisions away from career professionals to political errand boys," he further said.

Elsewhere, speaking during the same interview, former Interior Principal Secretary Karanaj Kibocho ruled out the possibility of running for a political office in the 2027 General Election.

He said it was time for younger people to take up leadership positions.

Kibicho noted that he became a Principal Secretary at the age of 42 under the late former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration, adding that younger generations should now be allowed to lead.

“I will not run for any political office. The reason is that when we speak about youth empowerment, we must actually believe in it and practice it.

“Kibaki gave me an opportunity to be a PS when I was 42 years old. I think I should allow the 42-year-olds to lead, that is my reasoning,” he stated.