I have been toying with this question in my mind over and over.

You are a brilliant chap, at the pinnacle of your professional path, and then you take up a govt job that undoes all you have built over the years. Examples may suffice.

Amos wako was an internationally recognized lawyer who once served as UN special rapporteur for east Timor. Joined moi's govt and the rest is history. Dr. Wilfred Koinange of goldenberg and that other Harvard educated economist who received a msomo from justice bosire during the goldenberg inquiry.

My question is based on the assumption that when you take up a govt job, you are being set up to fail.

I can understand prof githu muigai wanting to serve nyumba, but what about Philip Kinisu? He knows for sure he is being set up to fail. After working on your professional reputation for all these years, why risk it all with a govt job ? Is it worth it ? And poor Nzioka Waita ?

And my second question, why not try to stand out and leave a mark and a legacy ?

Two names here. Brig. Boinett and former CGS Daudi Tonje. Moi must have thought these were fellow tribesmen but each left a mark that changed the institutions they headed for ever. They refused to swim with the tribal tide and thought about posterity and future generations. After the 2002 elections, the clowns from the MoPW refused to build a dias that would accomondate kibaki's wheelchair. Brig. Boinett supervised the construction and made it clear to Moi, he had to respect the people's will.

Uhuru has one in the name of CBK gov Dr. Patrick Njoroge.

Funny enough, I don't remember any name that stood out during kibaki's reign. Arguably our greatest president ever.

explain....

After reaching the pinnacle of ones career, there is always the urge to serve the public and give back to society. Billionaires go the philanthropy route, the "smaller fish" join govt e.g Adan Mohamed, CS Macharia etc. Still others run for political office.

And yet when they get the opportunity, they offer nothing worth writing home about. And rather than give back, they join the takers who take even the little we have.

I think this question is unclear. 'Brilliant' doesn't mean anything useful save that you like or prefer or admire something.

For example, one could restate the question as, 'Why do people I admire join government?' Then there's the question of do all people you admire join government?

I think there's something toxic about such questions because they appear to promote thought when in fact they do not...

There was one Kivutha Kibwana a professor indeed he even advised Kibaki and right now he is being lectured by mwana wa squatter on how to govern Makueni. Why do you call them brilliant ? i think a part from doctors(who treat people and not tittles) would be the only people i would call brilliant. Others can be crammers (sijui if thasts the correct english)
Look at today for instancen there will be matatu strike reason , a doctor controlling the county knew all along there is a problem and licences were issued. He was brought to senses by Kamanda who i doubt (his educational status).

On another noten was Waiguru not a "brilliant" mind ?

Martha Karua

But this one of time to run businesses and such is not always true. Mostly depends on your level and which govt section you work in. I have dealt with guys working at some govt offices like KRA n Treasury at relatively high levels and the pressure they go through is mostly worse than even at private sectors. Some of them work damn hard for long hours.

The difference between human DNA and chimpanzee DNA is 2%. To understand humans, study the 98%

Allowances and job security........my peers working at the lands get paid allowances of 11k per day for nights spent out of Nairobi.............averagely 7 days a week wako field!!!! not bad your young professionals