Energy CS nominee Davis Chirchir breaks down his Ksh.482M net worth

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Davis Chirchir has revealed that he is worth about Ksh.482 million.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday when he was being vetted by the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments, Chirchir stated that he had managed to accrue the said wealth by making significant investments throughout his lifetime.

Some of these investments, Chirchir went on, include owning homes in Karen and Kilimani, rental apartments in Westlands as well as a family-owned tea value-addition business.

"My financial network as declared in item number 25 in the criteria of vetting and approval is Ksh.482 million, tabulated as farms in Olengurwaini, Kipsenoi, a house in Spring Valley valued at Ksh.95 million, my Karen residence, some rental property in Westlands, in Matundu valued at Ksh.50million, vehicles, bank accounts and investments in a family tea value addition business called Chebango EPZ tea company at Ksh.185 million," he said.

The 62-year-old CS nominee added that his annual anticipated income stands at Ksh.12 million, citing that the said amount comes mainly from his salary, farm and rental returns.

Chirchir likewise took a walk down memory lane, narrating to the committee members his humble beginnings before venturing into politics.

"I was born in Cheptigit, Kericho, 62-years ago and have settled there to date. I went to local primary schools in Bomet and later joined Kericho High School between 1974 and 1978. I did my Form 6 from between 1979 and ‘80 before joining university in 1981 to do a course in Physics and Computer Science," he said.

"I graduated in 1985 and joined the then Kenya Post and Telecommunication Corporation where I went for what was called tele-traffic engineering so that I could be able to handle management of traffic engineering in telecommunication for nine months at the now Kenya Multimedia University."

At the same corporation, Chirchir would later serve as General Manager in charge of IT and change management.

He held the position between 1993 and 2003, playing an integral role in forming legislative policies that would lead to the establishment of telcos in Kenya.

He would later hold other positions in the public sector before stepping aside to focus on his family business.

Following the chaos that erupted after the 2007 elections, Chirchir sat on the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) which established some of the solutions that currently govern Kenya's polls.

After leaving the commission, the United Republican Party (URP) approached the CS nominee with a proposition to become its Secretary General.

"I worked in that party and having formed a coalition with the then TNA party, we were able to form government and I was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Energy," he said.