Kenyan lawmakers still found time to accuse the man nominated to head the country's central bank about his marital status when inflation is rising, the currency is falling and borrowers face double digit interest rates.
Patrick Njoroge is a University of Nairobi and Yale economist who works as an adviser of the International Monetary Fund. He's also 54 years old, an enthusiastic supporter of Kenya's victories in long-distance running and single. When he appeared in front of Kenya's parliament on Tuesday, lawmakers asked him about economic policy and his lack of Kenyan assets but also why he isn't married.
According to the Daily Nation Kenya's most popular newspaper, Njoroge said am single by choice and I am comfortable that way. "There is nothing sinister with that and I am sure this committee has done its due diligence on what sort of a person I am".The BBC's correspondent in Nairobi says it's no surprise that Njoroge's marital status raised eyebrows: "It is really unusual for a 54-year-old man to be single in the African context. Most Kenyans marry before 40." The average age of first marriage in Kenya for men is 26 years old, according to World Bank data.
However, the incident inspired jokes and comments by Kenyans online in 24 hours more than 2,000 tweets mentioned "CBK [Central Bank of Kenya] Governor". Many dismissed the whole line of questioning, saying that it's Njoroge competence, rather than his personal life, that should be tested.
Source: BBC News
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