Nairobi News

President Uhuru Kenyatta has dismissed 12 principal secretaries, who were not reappointed when he named his second-term Cabinet in January.

The Nation has learnt that the Head of the Public Service Joseph Kinyua has written to the PSs terminating their contracts with effect from June 30.

“Following the commencement of President Kenyatta’s second term in office and the reconstitution of government, which is now complete, I wish to inform you that you have not been considered for reappointment as a Principal Secretary,” Mr Kinyua says in a letter addressed to Ms Fatuma Hersi Mohammed, who served in the Ministry of Tourism.

“In this regard, your employment has been terminated forthwith. Consequently, you will be paid salary up to June 30, which will be your last working day,” reads the letter.

President Kenyatta was sworn into office for the second term on November 28, 2017. He named his Cabinet and the principal secretaries’ line-up on January 26.

The President picked 31 PSs, 15 less than the 46 who served in his first term. He did not, however, clarify the fate of the 12 who had served in the first term but were not on the new list.

On Friday, the PSs were sent packing after it emerged that they were ‘hanging around’ government offices with nothing substantial to do.

PROTOCOL HITCHES

A source at State House said some of the PSs have been accompanying Cabinet Secretaries to public engagements, occasioning protocol hitches.

“Everyday they are all over the CSs and creating confusion. You don’t know whether to introduce them without raising issues with substantive PSs,” said the source, who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Paying salaries to the officials has also been a drain to the taxpayer because they are sustained by the public yet they have not been serving in any substantive capacity.

Each of the 12 PSs has an official car, a driver and bodyguard, besides their pay, which is close to Sh1 million. The State also maintains their houses and a retinue of aides; including at least two secretaries and a personal assistant.

“It has been an awkward experience. The worst thing is to have someone named to your position, and you are not told what happens to you. Or to have your department scrapped and you are told nothing,” one of the PSs told the Nation.

State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu confirmed the sacking of the PSs.

The PSs affected are those who served during President Kenyatta’s first administration but were not reappointed when he reconstituted his government in January after being declared winner of the October 26 presidential election.

LIST OF  THOSE DISMISSED

1. Joe Okudo: Arts, Culture.

2. Sammy Itemere: Broadcasting and Telecommunications.

3. Ali-Noor Ismail: Cooperatives.

4. Mwanamaka Mabruki: Gender Services.

5. Aidah Munano: Housing and Urban Development.

6. Victor Kyalo: ICT and Innovation.

7. Patrick Nduati Mwangi: Transport.

8. Khadija Kassachoom: Labour.

9. Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Mahmud: Mining.

10. Fatuma Hersi: Tourism.

11. Wilson Nyakera Irungu: Planning.

12. Dr Dinah Jerotich Mwinzi: Vocational and Technical Training.