This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
On July 23, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Henry Rotich as the Finance minister, a position that would prove to be both a blessing and a curse for the economist.
Rotich's journey to the top began in 2013, when he was plucked from a low-profile job at the National Treasury's macroeconomics department to take charge of the lucrative Cabinet position.
As Finance minister, Rotich quickly earned a reputation as a yes-man, always eager to please and the master of debt. He would rather take a fresh loan to fund the latest item on the government's wish list than just say no.
Pushed into a tight corner, Rotich handed MPs billions of taxpayers' money to illegally pay themselves hefty house allowances at a time when all revenue indicators in the country were flashing red.
Despite his eagerness to please, Rotich's tenure has been marked by controversy. He inherited a ministry that had worked hard to remove Kenya from the list of countries that would crush without budget support, but in under six years, Kenya has borrowed so much that it cannot meet its expenditure needs without budget support.
Rotich's greatest weakness is now threatening to destroy his career, with the Kimwarer and Arror dam saga hanging over his head. He is currently facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, engaging in a project without prior planning, abuse of office, wilful failure to comply with the law applicable to public finance management, and committing an offence of financial misconduct.
