Chris Murungaru: Why Kibaki dropped me from his Cabinet
Former Kieni MP Chris Murungaru during the interview at his home on April 25, 2022.
The Kibaki administration will go down in history as the government that turned around the country’s economy, thanks to his management style and fight against corruption.
Taking over from President Daniel Moi in 2002, Mwai Kibaki inherited a beaten economy and a government riddled with corruption that needed a miracle to salvage.
And even with a rich background in economics, Kibaki could not do it alone, and his Cabinet picks had to be carefully thought-out.
One of those he picked to run the transformational government was former Kieni MP Christopher Murungaru.
“You will all agree that 2003 was a pivotal moment for this country. The evidence is there for all to see. He put this country on the right trajectory,” Dr Murungaru reflects.
Dr Murungaru was appointed the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and National Security in 2003, making him directly answerable to the President.
But barely three years later, he would leave government controversially after being named in the infamous Anglo Leasing corruption saga that saw more than Sh600 million lost.
Kibaki was dealing with the fallout within the government from the scandal.
Now retired, Dr Murungaru is speaking to the Nation from his Nyeri home, giving an insight into the Kibaki administration.
The former minister reveals details of an unprecedented decision by Kibaki to seal emerging cracks within the government and how he was asked to leave government at the height of the Anglo Leasing scandal.
Former Kieni MP Chris Murungaru during the interview at his home on April 25, 2022.
On November 21, 2005, Kibaki’s constitutional referendum suffered a humiliating defeat that forced him to crack the whip and dissolve his Cabinet.
“There are people who wanted to make political gains. You cannot afford to have a government speaking from different corners of the mouth,” Dr Murungaru tells the Nation.
Being an ally of the former Head of State in the “yes” camp, Dr Murungaru survived the axe and was appointed to the Transport ministry.
“At that time, it became impossible to run government affairs and he had to let others go,” Dr Murungaru says.
But barely three months later, the Kibaki government found itself facing another monster in the Anglo Leasing scandal, and this time Dr Murungaru was in the eye of the storm.
In a bid to save face, Kibaki had to make a critical decision, and dropped Dr Murungaru from the Cabinet.
“Kibaki called me and persuaded me to step aside and I was persuaded. I was not bitter about leaving government. But I was bitter about the reasons that were manufactured by those who accused me,” Dr Murungaru says.
Still, Dr Murungaru considers himself collateral damage and says Kibaki did what he had to do to salvage the situation and that he does not hold that against him.
“People did not want to hear my side of the story and those are the issues I thought I should express. But managing a country is like war and there must be casualties and if I was to be a casualty for Kenya to be better, then so be it,” he says.
That became the turning point in his political career, beginning a steady decline of his political stint. He lost his Kieni parliamentary seat in 2007 and unsuccessfully vied for the Nyeri Senate seat in 2013, before quietly leaving politics altogether.
The former minister remembers Kibaki for his managerial approach in running government affairs, with a keen focus on delivery of services and achieving goals.
This he started from the very onset when he made appointments to his Cabinet, he says.
“He had very high expectations and he would let you know before he appointed you. I remember when he picked me, he approached me and told me he wanted me to be part of his government. He was very clear on the expectations he had and what he wanted to achieve,” Dr Murungaru recalls.
Unlike the superiority that comes with power, Kibaki will be remembered by his juniors as a leader with a listening ear and one who was always open to suggestions.
“He listened a lot; especially in the Cabinet meetings. He would let the minister present the agenda or proposal for their docket and then other ministers would give their view. The late Kibaki did not speak much, but listened more and let the Cabinet members brainstorm. At the end he would consult with the Cabinet before a final decision was made,” the former security minister said.
Kibaki’s success in running government is attributed largely to his consultative approach and frequently involving his juniors in affairs of the state.
Even though he remains cagey on the intricate details pertaining to his docket and matters of national security, he says the former head of state was constantly in talks with him in a bid to ensure the country remained safe.
“On a given day I would brief him constantly on what was happening in the country. I would be talking to him so many times a day on the telephone that at some point it would result in walking in and out of the house on the hill (State House),” he says.
Kibaki will be remembered for his wittiness and sense of humour, and occasionally, he would bring his humour to Cabinet.
“Cabinet meetings are serious sittings but once in a while, he would crack a joke. I remember this time when former Local Government Minister Karisa Maitha wanted to take children from the streets. He said we should be careful because we do not know where their fathers are. Kibaki said, ‘Ni ukweli, lakini nikipita pale corner ya Moi Avenue na Kenyatta Avenue nitaona sura mbili hapa (It is true. But if I pass by the corner of Moi Avenue and Kenyatta Avenue I can spot two faces here.)’,” Dr Murungaru recalls.
