If being single at 54 was shocking, this one will wow many about the new Central Bank of Kenya Governor. Dr Patrick Ngugi Njoroge, a soft-spoken man with the traits of a monk, doesn’t seem to covet earthly wealth and opulence.
After taking over officially as CBK Governor last week, Dr Njoroge, the Daily Nation reports, has declined the trappings that come with being in control of the country’s purse and economic pulse.
He has turned down the offer to live in an expansive home in Nairobi’s Muthaiga, preferring to stay in a communal accommodation in Nairobi’s Loresho estate with his fellow members of Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church that upholds selflessness as a path to sanctity.
By this rare act, he passed up the chance to live in the rarefied neighbourhood of former President Mwai Kibaki, the US ambassador, British high commissioner and former Attorney General Charles Njonjo. The home has lawns and beautiful mature gardens, ideal for parties and official receptions and functions.
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Next time you are in the traffic jam, the next car could be the CBK governor’s as he has also declined to ride a motorcade with security guards, as well as a high-end smartphone. Central Bank governors have at their disposal a Range Rover, Mercedes Benz and a Volkswagen Passat, a chase car and two body guards.
With Ksh3 million a month salary at the International Monetary Fund, Dr Njoroge is clearly a man of means and you’d expect him to be flashy and flamboyant. During vetting by MPs, he said he does not own any property in Kenya. “…I would want to invest in other things. That should not mean I have any financial inabilities. It comes with the profession,” he told MPs.
In Kenya, appointment to public office is by all means a chance to taste what life – and government – can offer. Some officers demand an overhaul of their offices and order specifically made furniture.
That’s why Dr Njoroge’s move will be the talk of town for a while and certainly set a precedent that will be hard to attract followers.
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