State officers on campaign trail

The Jubilee administration has deployed civil servants and key government officials on vote hunting missions across the country in contravention of the law.

Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, parastatal board members, university lecturers and even regional commissioners have all been roped in.

Cabinet Secretaries Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution), Joseph Nkaissery (Internal Security), Charles Keter (Energy) Sicily Kariuki (Youth and Gender Affairs) and Fred Matiang’i (Education) have been among the most active. Others are Dan Kazungu (Mining), Eugene Wamwalwa (Water) and Najib Balala (Tourism).

Principal Secretaries Karanja Kibicho (Internal Security), Mathew Itemere (Broadcasting and Telecommunications), Josephta Mukobe (Special Programmes), Monica Juma (Foreign Affairs), Charles Sunkuli (Environment), Saitoti Torome (Planning), Julius Korir (Industry) and Susan Mochache (Social Protection) have also been campaigning for Jubilee.

Chiefs and their assistants have also been instructed to document government achievements and ongoing projects and use them to popularise Jubilee.

BARAZAS

They are expected to hold frequent barazas to inform the public about the government achievements. They are also expected to use village elders to assist in spreading the word and influence mass voter turnout.

“The target projects members of the public must be reminded about are free primary education, subsidised fertiliser, completed roads and hospitals,” said one chief in Nyandarua County, who requested not to be identified.

State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu has defended the civil servants saying they were only informing Kenyans about the achievements of government.

The law prohibits public servants from indulging in politics while in office.

According to Section 23(3) of the Leadership and Integrity Act, public officers are not supposed to engage in the activities of any political party or acting as their agents or candidate in an election.
Section 12 of the Election Offences Act, which came into force in October 2016, provides that using public office for political campaigns is punishable by prison term or fine.

“A candidate or any other person who uses a public officer, or the national security organs to induce or compel any person to support a particular candidate or political party commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ten million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years or to both,” the law says.

PROJECTS

However, it seems the law has been widely ignored by the civil servants.

In Kakamega County, for instance, Special Programmes PS Josephta Mukobe campaigned for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election at a meeting at Ekatsombero Primary School in Khwisero constituency on February 9, 2017.

While presiding over the launch of the Digital Learning Programme at the school, Ms Mukobe asked the local communities to work closely with the government.

And during the launch of the National Youth Service Empowerment Programme in Navakholo constituency on March 25, 2017, Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki hit out at the Opposition and asked locals to back Mr Kenyatta’s re-election.

“In 2013, President Kenyatta got only 650 votes in Navakholo Constituency but he has decided to work with residents and ensure they benefit from development projects initiated by the government,” said Mrs Kariuki.

In Ikolomani, PS Itemere, also asked voters there to back President Kenyatta’s re-election bid.

He said Mr Kenyatta had appointed more than 10 professionals from the constituency to serve in his administration.

OPPOSITION

In Narok County, three principal secretaries — Mr Sunkuli, Mr Torome and Mr Korir — have also been campaigning for Jubilee.

On February 3, 2017, at Nkoirienito in Kilgoris Constituency, the three said residents stand to benefit more under the Jubilee leadership and cautioned against supporting the Opposition.

“We can only get more development projects if we support the current leadership for another term,” said Mr Korir.

Dr Matiang’i also used the Uasin Gishu County Kenya Secondary School Headteachers Association annual conference at Nakuru’s Bontana hotel on April 25 to campaign for the President.

“You all know whom to vote in the August 8 General Election,” he said. “President Kenyatta sent me to ask you to walk with him in the journey. He needs your support to retain his seat.”

In Samburu, during the launch of the Digital Literacy Programme at Baragoi Primary school on October 5, 2016, CS Keter called on residents who had attained the age of 18 to apply for their national identity cards and register as voters so as to re-elect President Kenyatta.

“Let us vote for Jubilee uniformly, starting from MCA to President,” Mr Keter said.
Devolution CS Kiunjuri followed suit in Samburu early this year during a voter registration drive.

PARTISAN

In a separate visit to Samburu to collect views on the Equalization Fund, PS Kibicho also drummed up support for the Jubilee administration asking residents to re-elect Mr Kenyatta.

He promised more support and increased funding to the pastoralist communities.

Foreign Affairs PS Monica Juma, who also visited the county for the Digital Literacy Programme launch, told residents at Wamba CCM Primary School to vote for Jubilee to allow President Kenyatta finish the project.

In Kitui, the Deputy County Commissioner for Lower, Mr Yatta David ole Saruni, has been summoning chiefs, assistants chief and village elders and instructing them to campaign for the Jubilee parliamentary candidate for Kitui Rural Constituency, Mr James Munyao Kiilu.

In one of the day-long meetings outside his office at Kyusyani on May 10 also attended by the Jubilee aspirant, the administrator told the elders they should actively participate in campaign efforts to vote out area MP Charles Nyamai, because he had “failed to develop the area”.

“I know I’ll be accused of engaging in politics but you should not allow the current MP to retain his seat because he hasn’t performed well,” Mr Saruni said.

Kitui County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich confirmed receiving complaints against Mr Saruni and said it was wrong for any government officer to engage in partisan politics.

Reports by Benson Amadala, Ruth Mbula, Waikwa Maina, Steve Njuguna and Kitavi Mutua