Why Miguna’s exit was as dramatic as it was predictable

The suspension of Mr Miguna Miguna from the Prime Minister’s office marks another dramatic twist in the career of one of the most controversial civil servants around.

Ever since he came back from his Canadian exile to join Mr Raila Odinga’s campaign for the 2007 presidential elections, Mr Miguna has generated controversy after controversy, and with his abrasive nature amassed enemies by the truckload.

During the long days and nights at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre when the vote tallying and announcement of results for the 2007 elections turned chaotic, Mr Miguna stood out amongst the loudest in the protesting ODM brigade, alongside figures such as Mr James Orengo and Mr William Ruto.

After formation of the coalition government, he cooled his heels for a time before formally being appointed Mr Odinga’s advisor on Coalition Affairs.

His job basically involved being Mr Odinga’s key representative in the engagements with President Kibaki’s side of the coalition on matters such as coordinating the smooth working of government, ironing out problems between the two sides, and negotiating differences on issues such as the new constitution and appointment of public servants.

However his formal appointment to the civil service did not tame a penchant for confrontation, which was buttressed by the acidic attacks he penned against foes, real and imaginary, in a weekly column in The Star newspaper.

Over the past two years when it sometimes appeared that relations within the coalition were irretrievably breaking down, part of the problem seemed to be the poor working relations between Mr Miguna and his counterpart in President Kibaki’s office, former cabinet minister Kivutha Kibwana.

But while Prof Kibwana cuts the moderate figure of a genteel diplomat. Mr Miguna is the polar opposite with his readiness to always go for the jugular.

In that regard he probably has no counterpart in the public service, putting on shrill displays that might only be compared to the freelance political attack dogs that litter both sides of the fence.

Some of his longest running public confrontations have been with one of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s fixers, fellow Star columnist Moses Kuria.

Some of the complications out of the public activities of such figures is the assumption their utterances and writings represent the views of their employer.

Thus Mr Miguna’s unbridled attacks on all and sundry have often been presumed to carry Mr Odinga’s approval, just as Mr Kuria’s assaults from the other side have come to be associated with Mr Kenyatta.

That probably explains that when it became apparent that Mr Miguna was part of the campaign against Interim Independent Electoral Commission boss Ahmed Isaack Hassan, his position became untenable.

With the wisdom of hindsight, Mr Odinga would be loath to be seen mounting a push aimed at manipulating appointments to the electoral body.

Even in the Prime Minister’s office, the often brooding Mr Miguna—who liked styling himself a Permanent Secretary though he did not carry that title—had few friends, but he must have enjoyed Mr Odinga’s confidence to last as long as he did. He might just bounce back once the dust has blown.