Ministry of Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja has addressed claims of being a personal assistant to former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi.
Andrew Mwihia addressed the claims on Friday August 2, 2024, during his vetting session at the National Assembly led by the committee chair and National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah while requesting the CS nominee to expand more on his interaction with the Public Service asked him to shed light on the matter.
This came after netizens claimed that Karanja served as former CS Linturi’s assistant before his nomination.
“Other than consultancy and advising government from the World Bank, have you directly worked with the Public sector? I saw many Kenyans when you were nominated purporting that you used to be the personal assistant to the immediate former Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi,” said Ichung’wah.
“You said you have worked with Cabinet Secretaries, so have you ever worked for Mithika Linturi as his personal assistant at any point or have you worked with him at the Ministry?”
However, Mwihia refuted the claims saying that he has neither worked as a personal assistant nor has he ever met former CS Linturi
Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja Speaks on Being Linturi’s PA
The Cabinet nominee noted that he has worked in the public sector, adding that he has done work in almost all the counties as a consultant, evaluating programs managed by different agencies in the livestock sector.
“You enquired on how I have interacted with the Public sector. I started as an extension officer from the grassroot, went all the way to becoming a planning officer and as an Economist in coffee research and of late as a member of the coffee taskforce on reforms,” he said.
“Being a PA, this one caught me off guard and surprisingly Mr. Speaker sir for the record and honorable members I have never met the former minister for Agriculture.”
Dr. Karanja was appearing before the committee after President William Ruto on Friday, July 19, 2024, listed his name among a list of eleven nominees for the positions of CSs in various ministries.
President Ruto Announces First Cabinet Nominees
President Ruto back then said the 11 ministers that he had proposed were a “first batch” that would undergo approval by lawmakers in the National Assembly before being appointed.
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The Head of State made the announcement while revealing a plan to form a new “broad-based government” following week of deadly anti-government protests sparked by an unpopular tax bill.
“Consequently, I have started the process of forming a new, broad-based cabinet to assist me in driving the urgently needed and irreversible transformation of our country. I hereby nominate the following first batch of 11 individuals for consideration and approval by the National Assembly for appointment as Cabinet Secretaries and Attorney General,” said President Ruto.
Among the eleven first nominees, five were nominated to serve in the Cabinet as fresh CSs, with Ministries set to have new CSs including Education, Health, Water, ICT, and Agriculture.
Career Profile
In the Agriculture sector, the President nominated the PHD holder Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja to succeed Mithika Linturi.
With over 36 years of experience in various fields, including development economics, livestock development, agriculture, rural development and finance both locally and internationally, Dr. Karanja is a formidable addition to the Cabinet.
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He started his career as an extension officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, where he has also worked as a Planning Officer.
Later he joined Coffee Research Foundation (CRF) as a Research Officer/Agricultural Economist where he rose through the ranks to Senior Agricultural Economist and Head of Economics Department.
Dr. Karanja’s tenure at the World Bank as an Agricultural Economist and advisor further solidifies his expertise in agricultural policy and development.
Mwihia holds a PhD in Development Economics and Policy from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, an MSc in Agricultural Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Nairobi (UoN).
Further, his extensive experience includes leading economic assessments and project management for agricultural development initiatives.
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