Veteran journalist and long-time aide of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Kibisu Kabatesi, has resigned from his position as the Secretary, Government Strategic Communications in President William Ruto’s government.
While it appears as a resignation, the fate of the key Mudavadi ally had already been sealed following a letter he wrote to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei in a tiff over the office location and role of his boss. The development comes barely 10 months into office.
And on October 15, Mr Kabatesi wrote to Mr Koskei over the matter, which caught many by surprise. He insisted that Mr Mudavadi’s offices will remain at the Railways headquarters contrary to a memo from Mr Koskei that stated otherwise.
Mr Kabatesi has served Mr Mudavadi as his director for communications, private secretary and spokesman for many years.
In the resignation letter seen by the “Nation” dated October 25, 2023, and addressed to Mr Mudavadi, the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Mr Kabatesi resigned from his position effective from November 1.
Mr Kabatesi thanked the President for the opportunity, time and support he accorded to him while he served in the position.
He indicated that due to personal reasons, he has opted to resign.
“I undertake to resign from the position of the Secretary, Government Strategic Communications effective November 1, 2023. I do this with a clear conscience and utmost humility that my talents will find utility at another time in the service of our great nation,” read the letter in part.
He ends by requesting payment of all the accumulated dues owed to him simultaneously with his resignation.
The ‘Nation’ has established that the push and pull within high government offices led to him being shown the door.
His stinging statement and stand on certain issues including the location of the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s offices, and the reorganisation of government departments, is said to have put the nail on the coffin of Mr Kabatesi’s dramatic, combative but short stint at the Kenya Kwanza-run administration.
Last year in October, President Ruto issued his first Executive Order No. 1 of 2022 setting out how his government shall be organised.
In the changes captured in the executive order, the Prime Cabinet Secretary was to be housed at the Kenya Railways Headquarters. This put an end to speculations that the Amani National Congress Leader would occupy the Harambee House Annex.
The move settled the debate on whether Mudavadi was to occupy the Harambee House Annex Office with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua shifting to work on the other side of Harambee Avenue or Harambee House.
But a year later, on October 11, 2023, Mr Koskei sent out a communication designating government offices to ministries and state departments. In the communication which was also shared with the media, Mr Mudavadi’s office was moved to the old Treasury building.
But Mr Mudavadi would later oppose the move and Mr Kabatesi released a stinging statement to not only support his boss but also hit directly at Mr Koskei.
According to him, Mr Mudavadi had been a squatter at the Treasury Building awaiting completion of renovations and refurbishment of his Railways Headquarters office. Nonetheless, the Prime CS relocated to the premises pending completion.
He has also served as a Presidential Director of Communication in three campaigns—in 2007 for Raila Odinga, in 2013 for Musalia Mudavadi and in 2017 for The NASA Coalition.
Efforts to reach Mr Kabatesi on phone were futile, and neither did he respond to short text messages.
