Kenya’s central bank governorship will be offered in June, with six contenders reduced down to two senior economic advisers to the president.
Both Adan Mohamed, who served in the cabinet from 2013 to 2022, and Kamau Thugge, who worked as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance from 2013 to 2018, were appointed.
Both have joined President Ruto’s government as advisers. The Public Service Commission, which is in charge of the recruiting process, announced the final six applicants late Tuesday night.
The job will be vacant when Governor Patrick Njoroge’s eight-year tenure expires in June.
Thugge and Mohamed worked as CEOs of Barclays Bank of Kenya (now Absa Bank) and the International Monetary Fund in Washington before entering politics.
They will compete against four other candidates for the role, including the current director of the Ministry of Finance’s debt office and a former Ministry of Finance head of planning.
Years of financial stability are jeopardized due to the government’s rising debt, making the future governor’s job harder. They will also have to deal with inflationary pressures caused, at least in part, by the sharp depreciation of the shilling.
On Tuesday of next week, the panel will interview all six candidates and provide the president with a short list of their preferred choices.
