Rising Wealth and Rising Questions: Cabinet Secretary Nominees’ Net Worth Spike Raises Eyebrows

The Kenyan media is in the crosshairs for its current portrayal of the Cabinet Secretary nominees vetting. Led by speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula, he has condemned the focus on the net worth of the nominees.

Since the vetting began, the Cabinet Secretary nominees have shared their current net worths as part of the vetting. Most of them have declared they have accumulated more net worth within the past two years.

The first five Cabinet Secretary nominees that appeared before the parliamentary committee have a net worth of Ksh 2.5 billion combined. Interior and National Administration Nominee Kithure Kindiki; Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Alice Wahome; Education Ministry nominee Julius Migos Ogemba; Defense nominee Soipan Tuya; and Health nominee Debra Mlongo Barasa.

Kithure Kindiki, the Interior and National Administration Nominee was one of the Cabinet Secretaries fired and reappointed by President Ruto. During his first vetting, he disclosed that he had a net worth of Ksh. 544 million.

Alice Wahome, the Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development nominee has grown from Ksh 218 million to Ksh 327 million within two years. She said that the wealth was immersed in her properties.

Julius Migos Ogemba Education Ministry nominee, told the committee that he was worth Ksh 790 million. He claimed the wealth from his law firm, land, farm equipment, and vehicles.

Soipan Tuya the defense secretary nominee was also fired from the previous cabinet. In her first vetting, she had a net worth of Ksh 156 million and Ksh 243 million within the two years.

Health nominee Debra Mlongo Barasa, says she has a combined net worth with her husband of roughly Ksh 455 million. All the nominees have accumulated wealth, luxury homes, and other properties.

The vetting is still ongoing after President William Ruto announced the list of nominees after he fired his previous cabinet. This was after the protests that had been ongoing for weeks over the finance bill 2024.