Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Franklin Mithika Linturi has stood out as an embodiment of a true public servant over the years due to his unwavering passion for political advocacy.
Linturi has had a long and distinguished career in politics, having served in Parliament for three consecutive terms before his cabinet appointment.
But, an impeachment motion that has been brought against him now seeks to dent not only his newfound career in the civil service but also his political career.
The motion sponsored by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka stems from the recent scandal that saw farmers supplied with substandard fertilizer.
Speaker Moses Wetangula okayed the motion Tuesday, April 30 noting that it meets the applicable procedural requirements of standing orders 64 and 66 for it to be admitted.
MPs will on Thursday, May 2 cast their vote to approve Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi’s ouster motion paving the way for the creation of a Select Committee to investigate him.
Born in 1969 in Igembe South in Meru, CS Linturi was first elected to office in 2007 as area MP on a KANU ticket.
This was after two consecutive failed attempts in 1997 on Safina party, losing to Jackson Kalweo of KANU and in 2002, this time on KANU where he was floored by Raphael Muriungi of NARC.
In 2013, the 54-year-old defended his seat on the then-TNA party of retired president Uhuru Kenyatta which he won.
In 2017, Linturi went on to give a stab at the Senatorial seat on the Jubilee party ticket and again stunned his competitors to win the seat.
His steady rise in politics was, however, punctured during the 2022 general election when lost the gubernatorial seat to Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
He ran on President William Ruto’s UDA ticket.
But, his journey to success did not come on a silver platter.
At the tender age of eight, he was arrested by a local chief while tending to his father's animals in a nearby forest and taken to school.
He joined Amwamba Primary School in 1978 and afterwards joined Igembe Boys' Secondary School.
After completing his secondary education in 1989, he joined Meru Technical College to pursue a course in accounting (CPA).
As a typical village boy brought up in a family of eight, he knew he had to curve his niche.
He enrolled at the Kenya Institute of Marketing for his Diploma in Marketing and College of Insurance where he obtained a certificate in insurance.
During his vetting for the CS position, he told MPs that when life became difficult, he left home to go and 'hustle' for a job.
"After my education, my father thought I should stay home and assist him in his coffee and tea farms and required to spend some of his little earnings to educate my other brothers and sisters," he said.
He worked as an agent for many insurance firms until 1999 when he founded Arkehoice Insurance Brokers Company.
It was while working at the firm that he met several clients who made him develop an interest in politics and public service.
Among those he said inspired him in his political career include Raila Odinga, late Kenneth Matiba, late Jaramogi Oginga and Paul Muite.