Ruto’s Cabinet Nominee Willing to Take Pay Cut in New Role 

The nominee for Secretary to the Cabinet, Mercy Wanjau, on Saturday, October 22, stated that she was willing to take a pay cut to serve in her new role if approved by the National Assembly. 

Wanjau, while speaking before the Committee on Appointments, stated that the new role in President William Ruto’s Cabinet would offer her an opportunity for growth after her long years of service in the parastatal world. 

“I recognise that I come from the parastatals and this presents different (salary) scales from the central government.

“But I have been in public service for all these years and indeed (this chance) represents a growth opportunity for me over the years and given the investment that we have made as a family, we are able to make adjustments in order to take this role.”

Secretary to the Cabinet nominee Mercy Wanjau arrives at the County Hall for her vetting on October 22, 2022.

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National Assembly

Wanjau was responding to a question raised by Kikuyu legislator, Kimani Ichung’wah, who sought clarification on her gross salary in her current job as compared to the wages of the Secretary to the Cabinet. 

She is currently the Director of Legal Services and Corporation at the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

“You were earning an average of about Ksh1.58 million, are you willing to take a pay cut when everybody in the country is now looking for a pay rise?” Ichungwah asked. 

According to the list of cabinet appointees released by President Ruto, the position of the Secretary to the Cabinet would be ranked at the same level as Cabinet portfolios. 

Further, the nominee reiterated the significance of the position in executing government functions. 

“This is a very critical office because it sits to support the progression of government business, and execution of different policy agendas enabling economic transformation,” she told the committee. 

Mercy Wanjau is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has 22 years of experience in public service. 

The seasoned attorney will replace Joseph Kinyua as Secretary to the Cabinet. Kinyua, the former Head of Public Service doubled up as the Cabinet’s secretary after former president, Uhuru Kenyatta, merged the two roles. 

President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gacahgua, and Prime Cabinet Minister Musalia Mudavadi during the unveiling of the nominees to his cabinet at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

William Ruto