More changes likely after Uhuru shake-up

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to make changes in the public service, State corporations, foreign missions and the military could have passed as normal, but hidden in the reorganisation were subtle signals that he is on the verge of making more drastic changes.

It was a day of intrigues on Friday with various coordinated announcements as most of those affected were caught by surprise, with journalists invited to State House twice.

The Nation has learnt that with the completion of the vetting of Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries and other senior officials — separate from that of head of government procurement departments that relies on information from the National Intelligence Service — the President could be putting final touches to the team he wants to entrust with his legacy.

The Friday announcement has plunged Cabinet members into a panic as most of them are no longer sure about their fate since information on any changes remain closely guarded.

“Some influential people tried making calls to find out what was happening, but they realised it was only the President who had the answers,” said a senior State House official, who spoke in confidence.

BALANCING ACT

It is a delicate balancing act that could also threaten his relationship with Deputy William Ruto, whose influence in various public appointments is acknowledged in the corridors of power.

In the announcements, the need to further streamline messaging in the presidency saw Mr Manoah Esipisu, the former State House Spokesman, nominated for diplomatic assignment. His Deputy Kanze Dena has assumed the top seat in acting capacity.

The Presidential Strategic Communication Unit has over the years been characterised by turf wars pitting Mr Esipisu and other directors. There have also been suspicion that some in the team have been leaking sensitive information. The exit of the spokesman is also a signal that the President is keen to fully reconstitute the State House inner circle.

Though their fate is still unknown, it was a victory, no matter how minor, for PSCU directors Munyori Buku, James Kinyua and Dennis Itumbi after the exit of Mr Esipisu.

Later in the evening, the Kenya Gazette also had new parastatal chiefs evidently listing allies of the opposition leader Raila Odinga, a sign that the handshake with Mr Kenyatta was beginning to bear fruit.

CORDIAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP

The changes, all made when Mr Ruto was in a public function in Isiolo, could also interest pundits keen on analysing the relationship between the President and his deputy, which they say is growing cold.

One of Mr Odinga’s media managers during the campaigns, Ms Kathleen Openda, was appointed the chairperson of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.

What the country has been treated to since the unveiling of the Cabinet is disparate from the cordial working relationship Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto displayed in their first term in office.

Ordinarily, Mr Ruto would not have missed such an occasion.

And in a break from the past, the President did not personally announce the key changes, particularly involving the Cabinet and PSs, but left the duty to Ms Dena.

In the morning, the media was invited to the seat of power which saw the President announce changes in the military. Mr Kenyatta appointed Army Commander, Lieutenant-General Robert Kibochi, the Vice Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

Maj-Gen Walter Koipaton took over as the new Army Commander from while Maj-Gen Francis Ogolla was made the new Air Force Commander. The highlight of the ceremony was the appointment of Fatuma Ahmed as Kenya’s first woman major-general after she was promoted from a brigadier.

NEW CHANGES

It would have been another mundane day, but shortly after 2pm journalists were summoned back to State House, where Ms Dena announced the new changes that affected some members of the Cabinet, PSs and the diplomatic service. They were quickly followed by other changes in the police service announced by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

The afternoon changes were so secret that Ms Dena was given the President’s notes to read and her staff were to transcribe what she had read on live TV for purposes of sending a statement to newsrooms.

In the process, they inadvertently omitted the name of Ms Esther Koimett who was promoted from Investment Secretary to Transport PS. “Esther Koimett’s name was accidentally left out. The anomaly has since been rectified,” Ms Dena said when contacted.

The President’s aides insisted that the changes were normal, but sources indicated that more changes are to be expected even at the Cabinet level as the president juggles various interests in his second term.

“There is no need to read much into these changes. They were expected especially when you realise that there were vacant positions in offices of Principal Secretaries which had to be filled,” said Mr David Murathe, a confidant of the President.

The swapping of Industrialisation CS Adan Mohamed and East Africa’s Peter Munya had all the hallmarks of the ongoing crackdown on corruption and counterfeit goods that have flooded the Kenyan market for a while now.

CLEARING GOODS

Sources indicated that Industrialisation, the parent ministry of the Kenya Bureau of Standards, had been frustrating government policy of clearing goods in record time at the Mombasa port.

Mr Mohamed’s stay at the powerful ministry was also made untenable when Nairobi’s down town traders demonstrated against the government over continued delayed of their goods at the port.

He was also involved in a messy altercation with Dr Matiang’i over contaminated sugar after dismissing claims that some contained mercury.

Mr Munya left the East African Affairs ministry before he could barely make a mark. He now moves to a ministry heavily charged with Big Four agenda.

The changes also altered the Executive order issued in June 15 by creating new State departments, which were not factored in by the time it was released.

For example, the reappointment of Mr Joe Okudo as Tourism State Department PS means he will have to get his duties spelt out since the docket of Tourism and Wildlife was under Dr Margaret Mwakiama.

It was not all gloom for the affected as once again President Kenyatta proved that he would be the last one to sack anyone. His public service is littered with incidences when he had opportunities to sack individuals, but he fell short. The appointments of former senior police officers Ndegwa Muhoro and Joel Kitili highlight such instances.