Top economists locked out of central bank jobs

Money Markets

World Bank senior economist John Randa and World Bank senior economist Jane Kiringai. PHOTO | FILE 

By GEOFFREY IRUNGU

Prominent economists at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were locked out of the race for three top positions at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) despite their long experience in policy making.

John Randa, a senior economist at World Bank, and Rose Ngugi, an adviser in the office of executive director for the Africa Group at the IMF in Washington, were among those who failed to make the short-list for interviews.

Mr Randa has previously worked as an advisor to the CBK governor while Dr Ngugi was in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which sets the benchmark interest rate.

Others failing to make the list of interviewees compiled by the Public Service Commission chaired by Margaret Kobia were Jane Kiringai, a senior economist at the World Bank office in Nairobi, who applied for the position of deputy governor.

The Public Service Commission re-advertised the positions.

READ: CBK staff locked out of deputy governor’s job

Joseph Ndiritu Muriithi, a former employee of the World Bank’s private lending and investment arm, the International Finance Corporation, also failed to make it to the list of interviewees. He had applied for the post of CBK governor.

Mr Muriithi was an assistant minister in former Mwai Kibaki’s government. Rachael Gesami, an economist who worked as an advisor at the IMF between 2003 and 2008 and as an advisor in the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s office, was also locked out of the race for the deputy governor’s post.