A decision by the Kenya Kwanza administration to recall all regional commissioners to the Office of the President for redeployment has received accolades from MPs who had, in a heated meeting with President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua , demanded the changes.
The meeting happened at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club Kigwa Lane, Off Kiambu Road, Nairobi on December 5 and 6. It was, however, on December 5 that MPs had the most bile directed towards the National Government Administration officials.
During the meeting, the Nation has now established, Kenya Kwanza MPs had given President Ruto the names of some of the administrators they wanted fired for supporting Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga in the August 9 General Election. The lawmakers also complained that some of the administrators frustrated them when they were campaigning.
In the latest changes, Ms Anne Ng’etich, currently serving as the secretary in charge of Administration in the State Department of Lands and Physical Planning, was named the new Interior Principal Administrative Secretary, replacing Mr Moffat Kangi.
Ms Beverly Opwora, currently the Makueni county commissioner, was named the Secretary of National Administration while Mr Jacob Namulen, currently the Wajir county commissioner, was named the secretary in charge of Peace Building.
The new regional commissioners picked by Prof Kindiki are Rhoda Onyancha (Coast), John Otieno (North Eastern), Paul Rotich (Eastern), Fredrick Shisia (Central), Dr Abdi Hassan (Rift Valley), Samson Irungu (Western), Flora Mworoa (Nyanza) and Katee Mwanza (Nairobi).
Some of the officials the MPs are said to have trained their guns on in the retreat were Rift Valley regional commissioner Maalim Mohamed as well as county commissioners Mr Namulen (Wajir), Samson Ojwang (Trans Nzoia), Stephen Kihara (Uasin Gishu, and later Meru), and Erastus Mbui of Nakuru.
Yesterday, a number of Kenya Kwanza lawmakers disclosed that, after the regional commissioners, the next ones on the chopping board will be county commissioners and later deputy county commissioners.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech, a senior member of President Ruto’s inner-circle, yesterday told Nation that the reshuffle has vindicated the legislators who had asked for the restructuring of the officials, noting that the move is a message to those in the lower cadres.
“One of the promises by which President Ruto came to office was reorienting the provincial administration to be more focused on facilitating service delivery to Kenyans rather than running political errands.”
“This change inevitably had to begin at the top for those at the lower echelons to get the message. It is refreshing to see the journey of re-imagining the role of this important cadre of public service has begun in earnest. I applaud the CS Interior Prof Kithure Kindiki for taking the bold step and I thank the President for being humane enough to host the regional commissioners and inform them of the upcoming changes in time. Of course, those of us who made appeals for the recall stand vindicated because it is the right thing to do,” said Mr Koech, who is also the chairperson of Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee.
The second-term lawmaker urged Azimio politicians to desist from reading politics into the redeployment, saying, the move is not witch hunt.
“You must use new bottles for new wine. Needless to say, this is not at all about victimising the regional commissioners, they have just been recalled to headquarters for redeployment,” said Mr Koech.
Mr Odinga’s allies, however, led by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, have warned Dr Ruto’s camp to desist from threatening government officers arguing that is a sign of taking the country back to the dark days of the Kanu regime.
“Threatening public officers demonstrates the level of impunity in their ranks,” said Mr Osotsi. Mr Amisi said the direction President Ruto has taken is setting a bad precedent that will be used by his successors to end the careers of many civil servants.
“In the long run, that will be the trend and, when he leaves office, all the civil servants working with him now will equally be bundled out of office by the new regime. He is equally risking his own people,” said the Saboti MP.
Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda, another ally of President Ruto, said the restructuring of the provincial administration was not political but rather aimed at ensuring smooth service delivery.
The MP said he would sponsor a Bill in Parliament proposing that public servants be employed on three-year contracts.
“When a new government takes charge, change is inevitable. The ones that have served the country in those capacities will be redeployed to other regions and other Kenyans appointed to serve in those offices. It’s not politics, its service delivery to the nation. The boss has been in the government for a long time and knows what’s best and who can do better where.”
“So let’s not read politics but expect major radical changes in different government sectors coming soon,” Mr Jhanda said.
He added: “I’m looking forward to introducing a Bill in Parliament where all government officers will be on contract for a maximum of three years, which will be renewable. You can’t have someone work in the same office for 30 years. We even have presidential limits, no one should be immune and work in the same office for 30 years.”
Late last year, the utterances made by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi after the declaration of election results but before the swearing-in of the President, that the former Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Stephen Kihara would have to resign with the formation of Kenya Kwanza government raised eyebrows on the fate of provincial administrators.
“Let us tell each other the truth, county commissioner [Mr Kihara]. You participated in dividing our people here with a lot of incitements and we have forgiven you but you must resign in this government. We cannot accept what took place,” said Mr Sudi during the inauguration of Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii.
“You wanted violence but as a Kenya Kwanza team, we remained steadfast and preached peace and unity. The County commissioner is prepared to go home.”
