Tourism CAS Joseph Boinnet has resigned.
The former Inspector General of Police made the disclosure at a meeting with MPs at the sports committee on Thursday.
“Today’s assignment is the last because I am tendering my resignation to seek a leadership position in the county where I was born and brought up,” Boinnet said.
Boinnet is set to vie for the Elgeyo Marakwet governor seat in the August 9, 2022 elections.
“I am going for the seat of Governor Elgeyo Marakwet. I wanted to thank this committee personally for the work we have done together over time,” he said.
Boinnet is the first state officer at the Cabinet level to make public his resignation ahead of the February 9 deadline for all civil servants intending to seek electoral office.
“I am grateful to my boss CS Najib Balala with whom we have worked closely for a while. I have heeded to the call of my people to serve them as governor,” he said.
Boinnet served as the Inspector General of Police before being appointed as the CAS.
He will be seeking to succeed the incumbent governor Alex Tolgos, who is completing his second and final term.
He is yet to state through which party he would seek election.
So far, eight aspirants have expressed interest in the seat, including Tolgos’
The county's deputy governor Wesley Kiptoo is also eyeing the seat and will seek the UDA’s ticket during the nominations.
Other UDA aspirants for the seat are former Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui, former Eldoret Polytechnic principal Josphat Sawe, Joyce Jepkorir, and Elizabeth Keittany.
Boinnet thanked the staff at the Tourism Ministry for working closely with him.
His resignations come hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered civil servants eying elective seats in the August polls to resign.
In a notice, issued by the Head of Public Service Joesph Kinyua, the president directed those with political ambitions to vacate their offices before February 8.
The law requires government officers eyeing elective seats to vacate office on or before February 9.
"Non-exempted State officers and all public officers are required to hand-over all public assets under their charge and to prepare comprehensive hand-over notes to facilitate a smooth transition and hand-over," Kinyua said in the letter dated January 28.