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Charles Githinji's Biography in Summary

Charles Githinji, President William Ruto's nominee for Consul-General to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stunned Kenyans by telling a vetting committee that a country's GDP is equal to its total population.

In response to a question about the definition of GDP, Githinji told the National Assembly's Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Committee, "GDP is the current population and the escalation of the population of a country."

He added, leaving everyone perplexed, "I will go back to the foreign affairs academy to learn more about this job."

Githinji also perplexed the committee by revealing that his only academic qualification was the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), in which he received a D grade.


The committee Chair, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, was further perplexed as to how Githinji ended up on the nomination list, given that his only job experience was "running a petrol station."

"Your only job experience is running a petrol station, and you've been nominated for a very senior diplomatic position. "I don't even know how you got on the nomination list," Hassan lamented.


Another committee member also pointed out several inconsistencies in Githinji's statements, such as telling the panel that he was worth Ksh.13.5 million when on paper he said Ksh.19 million.

He also told the committee chair that he had not continued his education since leaving high school, but his papers showed that he had obtained a Certificate in Business Management and had also completed driving lessons.

He did not, however, include any of the extra academic papers on his Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Githinji's obvious lack of merit was shocking for a Consul-General nominee, given the expectation that such appointees should have fundamental economic knowledge, which is critical for representing Kenyan commercial interests in Goma if confirmed.


Githinji was nominated by President Ruto last month and his potential responsibilities as Consul-General include developing and implementing Kenya's foreign policy, protecting national interests, and advocating for Kenyan citizens' commercial interests.

The basic requirements for the position include a degree and at least five years of customer-facing experience.

While his educational background is unknown, his previous employment as a petrol station attendant predates his nomination.