Charles Hinga: Illustrious Career of PS Overseeing President Ruto’s Housing Agenda

Charles Mwaura Hinga is the Principal Secretary (PS) in charge of State Department for Housing and Urban Development.

He joined the government in 2018 when former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him to serve as PS for Housing, Urban Development and Public Works. 

In November 2022, the sitting president, William Ruto, re-appointed him to serve in his current position.

Here is his story as told by WoK.

Hinga is a resident of Nakuru County.

In a report on Business Today, the PS disclosed that he grew up in a one-roomed house in Ronda, Katembwa slums in Nakuru County.

A while later, his family moved to Mombasa where they also lived in a slum, disclosing that he would sleep outside with his father to create room in the house.

Hinga was speaking at a housing workshop held in Nairobi on affordable housing under the Big Four Agenda by former president Kenyatta.

“It is not going to be easy. If it was, it would have been done. At the heart of this program are the people. This program is at the heart of providing social justice,” he said.

Hinga is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from Kenyatta University.

The PS also holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science (Honors) from University of South Africa.

His core competencies include project and structured finance, dealing in structuring and business development.

In the course of his career, Hinga has led a number of landmark advisory mandates including the R1.5 billion City Of Johannesburg Broadband Network Project and PRASA restructuring and recapitalization plan.

It also includes Phase 1B of Rea Vaya Rapid Bus Transportation System and Integrated Rapid Transport Network Project.

Hinga joined the government in 2018 following an appointment by former president Kenyatta.

Until the time of his appointment as the PS for State Department for Housing and Urban Development, he was the Group Chairman of an advisory boutique with presence in South Africa and Kenya.

“I am a banker by profession, I miss my daughters, they are in South Africa, but when the president called on me, I accepted to join public service,” he said in a past interview.

Hinga had been helping public agencies to implement landmark mega-infrastructure projects in urban areas via public-private partnerships.

He serves until the commencement of the2022 General Elections when he was reappointed serve as PS for State Department for Housing and Urban Development under Ruto’s administration.

Hinga has been making headlines recently after a video of him breaking down the proposed housing levy went viral.