Uhuru Kenyatta tells off 3 CSs over casual attitude

Three Cabinet Secretaries were on Friday on the receiving end after President Uhuru Kenyatta scolded them over perceived lackadaisical approach to their work.

President Kenyatta chastised CSs Mwangi Kiunjuri, Peter Munya and Monica Juma after being displeased by their seemingly casual approach and poor attitude towards issues raised by Kenyans in the diaspora.

The President, while addressing Kenyans living in Namibia, also did not spare his long-serving personal assistant Jomo Gecaga, accusing the named top officials of not taking the sentiments of the audience seriously.

Several Kenyans had raised weighty matters touching on government policies and none of the ministers had seen it worthwhile to note down the issued for future follow-up, the Head of State noted.

“I am looking now my brother Kiunjuri has taken a notepad  to write what I am saying. And he was not interested to note what these Kenyans are saying. He forgets he is a minister of the republic of Kenya and whatever is said he should be interested to know what it is that these people are telling us. The same applies to Bwana [Mr]  Munya, anangalia tu, na sio hawa mawaziri wangu (He is just looking on disinterested, it’s not only my ministers)  I have also my PA here, angalia, anangalia tu. Anangalia masaa, inabakia ni mimi nikumbuke, nisipokumbuka hio imepotea, (look at him, he is just looking on  completely disinterested, he is constantly looking at his watch. I am left alone to remember what you have said here, if I don’t remember all that will be lost)” said a clearly exasperated President, to the amusement of Kenyans living in the southern Africa country.

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Moments earlier the President had taken a swipe at Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma for not following up on the issue of passports, an issue raised Kenyans in various countries he had visited with the diplomat.

The President said that in Paris, France and in Beijing, China, Kenyans had asked the government to facilitate them with immigration officials so that they can register for new generation passports in their countries of residence instead of travelling to Namibia individually at a great cost for the crucial document.

“I do not want to hear this again Monica!” said a clearly fed up President.

Though this is the first time the President was taking issue with his members of Cabinet, Kenyans on social media had noted in his previous visits across the world, they rarely record what is said in crucial meetings.

Case in point was when the President visited Cuba in March 2018, where host ministers were all busy with notebooks listening and recording discussions while their Kenyan counterparts appeared completely disinterested, none with a notebook at hand.

But even as the President berated the ministers in public and in a faraway country no less, former CS Rashid Echesa recently told the Nation that the minsters are used to the President.

“From the first day, there was no peace in the Cabinet. The President was never the same person. I can tell you with the benefit of hindsight that the CSs are not sitting pretty. They are not settled, always worried about being told off in public and possibly being sacked,” he said.

Mr Echesa attributed this approach by the President to the handshake he had with opposition leader Raila Odinga on March 9, 2018.