NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – Cabinet Secretaries in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government have gone mute since the August 9 General Election.
Apart from Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, all other CS have not been seen to be active or attending public functions.
“I will continue discharging my duties until when I hand over to my successor,” said Magoha in one of the public functions he presided since the elections.
Also silent are Principal Secretaries, with none seen issuing a statement or presiding over government functions.
“I have not seen any of the CSs or PSs since the election, we don’t know where they are,” said Jackson Oloo, a taxi driver on Kenyatta Avenue.
Mercy Makena, an IT Specialist on Kimathi Street too said she is concerned that none of the CS’s have been seen in public since August 9.
“I only see Magoha on TV, kwani hawa wengine walienda wapi (I only see Magoha, where did the others go,” she posed.
Most of the CSs and PSs were last seen while voting. Under the law the CS and PSs are required to remain in office and discharge their functions until when they hand over.
Reports however indicate that some have been going to their offices, with some choosing to work from home.
The most known active and outspoken CSs in outgoing President Kenyatta’s government are Fred Matiangi (Interior), Joe Mucheru (Information), Mutahi Kagwe (Health), Magoha (Education), Peter Munya (Agriculture) among others.
Matiangi was last seen in public on August 9 when he went to vote and shared his photos on Twitter.
There has been no new update or posting on Matiangi’s timeline since August 9.
Interior PS Kibicho has also not engaged in public functions since August 5 when he addressed a press conference accompanied by Matiangi.
As for Health CS Kagwe, his Twitter timeline has been active with COVID-19 updates, and he congratulated President-Elect William Ruto when he was declared winner of the presidntial race on August 15.
“Congratulations to President-Elect William Ruto,” he tweeted.
As for ICT CS Jo Mucheru, he has been active on Twitter, with the last post on August 21 telling off Miguna Miguna who was deported to Canada.
Kenyans went to polls on August 9, electing the President, Governors, MPs, Senators, Women Reps and County Assembly Representatives.
In the election, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Deputy President William Ruto winner of the presidential race, defeating Raila Odinga of Azimio La Umoja coalition party who had the backing of the president and most CSs and PSs who openly campaigned for him.
Odinga and eight others have since filed petitions at the Supreme Court seeking to overturn Ruto’s victory in an epic legal battle whose hearing starts on August 31 with a verdict expected on September 5.
Odinga and the other petitioners want a re-tally of the votes and a re-run of the election ordered even though he has vowed that he won’t participate unless the electoral commission is reconstituted, accusing the current Chairman Wafula Chebukati of colluding with Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party to rob him of victory.
Ruto however, insists he won fair and square and has retained lawyers to defend him in court.
