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In 2013, during their first term in office, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, promised Kenyans that henceforth, they would be the only politicians in a Cabinet where Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) would be apolitical technocrats.
This declaration might have been inspired by President Daniel Arap Moi’s ‘Dream Team’ of technocrats appointed to turn around an economy that was not performing, and they did a good job.
It was a welcome declaration since it sought to insulate public service from partisan politics. A decade later, that pledge has been conveniently forgotten.
CSs have abandoned their constitutional duties to trail the President in political rallies, turning ministries into campaign outposts rather than engines of service delivery.
The Constitution is clear on this matter. Article 77(2) expressly prohibits State officers, including Cabinet Secretaries, from holding office in a political party.
In Article 260 of the Constitution, CSs are listed as State officers. Chapter Six on Leadership and Integrity demands political neutrality and fidelity to the law. Leadership and integrity require public officers to serve all Kenyans equally, irrespective of their political persuasions. With such clear guidelines, the CSs who openly campaign for Dr. Ruto have flouted the law. In doing so, they have eroded public trust.
Treasury CS John Mbadi’s recent dalliance with Luo elders at his office is a case in point. At a time when the budget-making process was at its most critical stage, Mr. Mbadi chose to host a political delegation, complete with fly-whisks and prayers, to declare allegiance in ODM factional wars.
Even as hospitals lack medicine, when the Social Health Authority has failed to meet the needs of Kenyans, and the mining sector reels under environmental abuse, CSs Aden Duale, Hassan Joho, Geoffrey Ruku, and others are busy drumming up support for the President’s re-election.
This dereliction of duty is unacceptable and must be condemned. CSs are appointed to serve the public, and their allegiance must be to the people. By engaging in politics, they betray citizens and normalise impunity. Most annoying is the attempt to interpret the Conflict of Interest Act amendments as allowing them to engage in politics.
These CSs must be called to order. CSs who breach the law should be impeached by Parliament or dismissed by the President. Unfortunately, the latter is unlikely, for these CSs serve his interests. If Parliament shirks its oversight role, Kenyans will continue to suffer under ministries run as campaign bureaus.
It is unfortunate that when CSs politicise their offices, service delivery collapses. We are seeing citizens die of hunger and disease while ministers play partisan politics. Where the Constitution envisioned a professional, impartial Cabinet, we have a political choir singing the President’s praises.
CSs cannot serve two masters at the same time. They have a choice between upholding the Constitution and serving the people, or chasing politics and forfeiting the right to hold public office.
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By Editorial