Renowned TV journalist Linda Ogutu has shared her reaction to missing out on an appointment as Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in Kenya. Ogutu’s name was absent from the list of 50 nominees released by President William Ruto on March 16, 2022, which mostly consisted of loyalists and poll losers.
Ogutu, who made her name as an eloquent newsreader on NTV and KTN, had made it among the 250 shortlisted applicants for the job from a pool of 4,000 and faced the Public Service Commission (PSC) interview panel. However, she failed to secure one of the 22 CAS slots.
In response, Ogutu tweeted a Kenyan catchphrase, “Ni kama pale CAS kimeumana. Wacha nioge nirudi soko. Tumeni sabuni mbio mbio mapema ndio best,” which roughly translates to “Looks like the CAS position has eluded me. Let me go back to the market and wash myself. Bring me soap quickly so I can wash myself early.”
Although disappointed, Ogutu maintained a positive outlook, tweeting, “Let us love each other as Kenyans. Please wake up, have some tea and pray for me. Life is about praying for each other.”
In May 2022, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed appointed Ogutu as the head of the secretariat at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) caretaker committee, where she served for six months. She later tweeted that it was an honour to have served at FKF and that it was a challenging experience.
