Transport CS James Macharia during an inspection tour of Nairobi Expressway, on Sunday, October 31 2021. [David Njaaga, Standard]
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has indicated that he was considering running for political office in the August General Election.
Mr Macharia said he will decide whether to vie for an elective seat before the deadline submitted by the electoral agency for public servants going into politics to resign.
"The decision to vie or not will be made on or before February 8," he said.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati said state and public officers seeking elective seats are supposed to resign by February 9 as required by law.
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Half of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet Secretaries have shown interest in various elective seats and now have 22 days to vacate office and seek a public mandate.
Chebukati has insisted that the law requiring public servants seeking elective positions to resign six months to the polls must be adhered to.
The IEBC chair said only those who comply with the provision will be cleared to run for office.
Macharia, 62, an accountant by profession and a former long time banker, before he joined the government in 2013 is believed to be eyeing Murang'a governor seat.
He was plucked from the corporate world while serving as the Group Managing Director of NIC Bank and appointed by President Kenyatta as Transport Cabinet Secretary in November 2015 to replace in acting capacity Michael Kamau who was suspended in March 2015.
Macharia would be moved to the Health Ministry before returning to the Transport docket.
Cabinet Secretaries Charles Keter (Devolution), John Munyes (Mining and Petroleum), Simon Chelugui (Labour), Peter Munya (Agriculture), Eugene Wamalwa (Defence), Ukur Yatani (Treasury) and Sicily Kariuki (Water and Sanitation) have shown interest in elective seats and could be expected to leave office in February.
Cabinet Secretaries Mutahi Kagwe (Health) and Joe Mucheru (ICT) have said they are not vying for any seat.
"No I will not vie for any seat," said Mucheru, while Kagwe said: "I am so focused on saving the lives of fellow Kenyans that I have not had time to think about anything else."
