Devolution Cabinet secretary-designate Mwangi Kiunjuri is the richest of the seven CS nominees who were last evening approved by MPs for appointment.
Mr Kiunjuri, a former MP for Laikipia East, estimates his net worth to be Sh798 million as at December 2015, mainly from land and buildings in Nanyuki, Sagana and Nairobi.
The former MP, who also served as an assistant minister in the Grand Coalition Government of Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, is trailed closely by Cleopa Mailu, who has been the Nairobi Hospital CEO until his nomination to become the Health secretary.
They made the disclosures to the National Assembly Committee on Appointments. Dr Mailu estimates his net worth to be Sh615 million as at this month.
“The nominee does not envisage any deferred income or future benefits and does not have outside commitments he plans to pursue outside employment. His main source of income in the preceding year is Sh67 million being salary from the Nairobi Hospital employment,” the committee, chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi, said in its vetting report.
Wealth declaration has become a key consideration in the fight against corruption with concerns that public officials were turning into instant millionaires overnight.
In the war against corruption, President Uhuru Kenyatta recently roped in the private sector players, a move that has seen two CEOs, Bob Collymore of Safaricom who earns close to Sh10 million monthly and Joshua Oigara of KCB whose salary is Sh4.9 million declare their wealth.
Although ministers earn an average Sh1.2 million a month, Mr Collymore’s net worth of Sh277 million and Mr Oigara’s Sh220 million are only a fraction of what some CSs own.
The law requires all public officers to declare what they own and liabilities. However, these lists are never made public, watering down the effect of such disclosures in attempts to audit the lives of the officers.
ICT ministry nominee Joe Mucheru put his wealth in the region of Sh500 million with a deferred income of Sh267 million.
Energy and Petroleum nominee Charles Keter says he is worth Sh352.8 million.
Mr Keter, the outgoing Kericho Senator, has served as MP for 14 years and was an assistant minister.
Sicily Kariuki, who was the Agriculture principal secretary before her nomination to become minister for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, estimates her wealth at Sh168.3 million, being income from investments, assets and salary.
She was recently on the spot for presiding over an official function before her vetting by MPs.
Willy Bett, who takes over the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries docket estimated his wealth at Sh127.5 million. He was the Kenya Seed Company managing director. Mr Bett said he made his wealth from employment at the Kitale-based seed company, farming and rental income.
The Mining ministry candidate, Dan Kazungu, put his net worth at Sh100 million as at this month.
Mr Kazungu, who was the MP for Malindi, has vast experience in the ICT sector having started his career in 1995 as an intern at the Institute of Advanced Technology.
He was a manager at Computech Group and Fintech Group in charge of Microsoft products, channel development manager at Mustek Electronics based in Johannesburg, International Business Machines (IBM) country representative for Ethiopia and Kenya and East Africa regional manager for Lenovo Africa, based in Johannesburg.
