Ex- rugby player given top job by USA Governor

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has appointed a Kenyan to serve as the new commissioner of Commerce and Insurance in his cabinet.

Hodgen Mainda, who first moved to the US in 2008 as a rugby player becomes the first Kenyan to hold such a position in the State of Tennessee.

Governor Lee said; "Hodgen joins my cabinet after an outstanding career as a community leader in Chattanooga."

He added: "He is respected for his ability to build partnerships across multiple sectors and we welcome his leadership to such a multifaceted department like Commerce and Insurance."

Achievements

The appointment was applauded by U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tennwho said "his immense contributions to the Volunteer State have been recognized time and time again.

"In this new capacity, Hodgen will be an asset in furthering the Lee Administration's objective to ensure that Tennessee is the best place to call home," Fleischmann said.

Mainda, whose father Dr Steve Mainda was a former financial advisor to Kenya's president, left Nairobi, Kenya, in 1997 to play rugby at Middle Tennessee State University and studied political science.

He is also a member of the Leadership Tennessee Class of 2019 and a 2018 graduate of the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program.