As President William Ruto ponders about his new Cabinet, Gen Z, religious leaders and other stakeholders want him to pick accountable, professional, ethical and incorruptible officers.
High Court Judge Francis Gikonyo’s annulment of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) board chairman Anthony Mwaura on grounds that it was contrary to the law, leadership and integrity provisions in Chapter Six of the constitution should guide the President as he seeks to appoint new Cabinet.
While quashing President Ruto’s gazette notice dated November 18, 2022, the judge faulted the Head of State for failing to take into account that at the time of his appointment, Mwaura was facing Sh357 million graft charges and forfeiture proceedings of proceeds of crime.
“This court finds that the President failed to take into account at the time of Mwaura’s appoìntment on November 18, 2022, that he was facing corruption and economic crimes charges in Milimani Chief Magistrate citing case number 32 of 2019.
Justice Gikonyo continued “The appointment herein suffer’s infirmity and illegality as relevant material and vital aspects having annexures to the constitutional and legislative purpose of integrity were not taken into account in the process.”
He singled out national values and integrity that he maintained must be adhered to saying if the court allows that to continue it will set a dangerous precedent where the appointing authority commits illegality and later finds ways of sanitizing them.
Another guide that the President should probably adhere to is Nominated Mp John Bandi’s ‘unsolicited advice’ that he gave in the National Assembly last year while dismissing the now dissolved Cabinet describing the nominees as ‘2027 campaign managers, regional campaign managers.’
“This is a cabinet that was informed by political expediency. The president is simply telling us that we give him a cabinet that is not going to function because he is ready to run the entire government system, machinery and structure from statehouse using advisors,” he said
He claimed the Cabinet was deficient in terms of academic, professional competence, experience and integrity.”Look at the case of Davis Chirchill, this is the same gentleman who was removed from office in 2015 on matters of corruption, he left no impact in that ministry the threshold under Chapter 6 is higher than cases being in court,” Bandi added while claiming many were incompetent, unqualified, and had integrity issues.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCKK) General Secretary Canon Reverend Chris Kinyanjui said the Cabinet must reflect national values and principles of governance such as patriotism, national unity, democracy and participation of the people, maintaining that the nominees must offer selfless service and sacrifice for the nation.
“The country needs a Cabinet that has a positive attitude and behavior towards the people and leaders with integrity who will aspire for the citizenry and not the political class because issues that caused unrest in the country were never a political question,” Rev Kinyanjui added.
On his part, Rev Dr Timothy Gichere, NCCK Central Region chairperson cautioned the President not to pick his nominees from the political class as that would lead to a tower of babel advising that he needed to pick his officers from the professionals.
“The President’s sentiments that he would engage the political formations with a view to forming a broad based government will only worsen the situation as the politicians will stick their allegiance to their political masters and this may break his legacy projects, it is only the professional who has a moral ground to advise the President as opposed to politicians,” Gichere, the ACK Mt Kenya Central Diocese said.
On his part political analyst Charles Njoroge said arrogance, corruption, display of flamboyance and opulence, failure by the Cses and other government officers to communicate government programs was the main reason for the Cabinet dissolution saying leaders with the opposite characters should be selected.
“At a time that Ruto is scrambling to put the lid on the worst crisis of his near two-year presidency, he must appoint a Cabinet that will start in a clean slate and it would be advisable that he picks them from the youth, men and women and also reflect the face of Kenya,” Njoroge added.
He said for Ruto to address the trust deficit claims, he must not re-submit some of his Cabinet regardless of their performance and noted that the Cabinet should remain apolitical.
“The Cses should concentrate on their work on delivering the Kenya Kwanza agenda while the political class should have left to explain their successes,” Njoroge added.
Jayden Kamotho, a Gen Z, said his Generation was fed up with the recycling habit of the political class and wanted the President to give the youth the Cses portfolios as he was voted to Presidency by a majority of them.
“It can’t be that our work is to be casual laborers in the controversial housing projects that the Kenya Kwanza is establishing while the political rejects or the retirees are occupying plump positions in the name of Cabinet Secretaries, these are our grandparents who should be advising us or the Executive on how to run a government or Ministries,” said Kamotho.