Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has asked Cabinet Secretaries to work hard to deliver development as demanded by Kenyans, besides remaining loyal to President William Ruto and the Constitution.
Speaking when he closed the two-day induction for the reconstituted Cabinet at the National Defence College International Peace and Support Training Centre in Karen, Nairobi, on Tuesday, August 13 night, the Deputy President said that as government policy implementers, their only focus is transforming the country as underpinned by the Kenya Kwanza Plan.
“This induction comes after reconstitution of the Cabinet, following a moment of great reflection and introspection for this country. It follows a season of dissatisfaction and anger against the Government and its intentions. We are one team under one captain (President Ruto). There is nothing personal. It is about service to the people of Kenya. Vindicate the President that he made the right decision appointing and reappointing you,” he said.
As the vision carriers of the country, the Deputy President told the Cabinet Secretaries that expectations are high and there is no room for further delay.
“Our key task as the President’s soldiers, is to translate his political intent into policy programmes. The President’s political intent is crystal-clear in the Kenya Kwanza Plan, that outlines the Bottom-Up-Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” he said.
He added that through BETA, the Government is addressing the economic turbulence in the country, protecting the health of those without wealth, providing a decent roof over many more heads and leading socio-economic transformation.
Against the backdrop of public uproar on some Cabinet Secretaries displaying opulence and arrogance, Mr Gachagua asked the ministers to dignify the President in people-focused service.
“Loyalty to the Head of State and Government is not negotiable Loyalty means being a faithful, honest and truthful counsel to the President. We must bring Dignity and professionalism to the task at hand, honesty and honour to all endeavours. We must be servant leaders, projecting humility, sensitivity and empathy for the people who we serve,” he said.
To achieve this, the Deputy President, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, asked the Cabinet Secretaries to be in touch with the reality of the Kenyan people through regular field visits, instead of waiting for reports from officials.
“Don’t lock yourself up in your office – move around and find out what is really going on. Interact with ordinary Kenyans from all walks of life. The feedback you can receive from the watchman, farmer, or Uber driver can be a million times better than reports and briefings of officials – because it is honest, unfiltered, and based on lived experience and not just observation,” Mr Gachagua said.
The Deputy President, who is also the chair of the Cabinet Committees assured the ministers of his support, saying he is ready to work with them, especially in aligning policy matters before they are presented in the full Cabinet, presided over by the Head of State.
“I have the duty of chairing the Cabinet Committees. The Committees are critical platforms for deep interrogation of proposed policies, legislation and government action. As guided by President Ruto, we must dedicate ourselves fully to the conduct of Cabinet Committee business, and break down for full Cabinet consideration, papers that have benefited from sufficient debate, analysis and examination,” he said.
While asking the Cabinet Secretaries to improve communication on government projects, Mr Gachagua said in case of challenges, he expressed his readiness to lead discussions with other constitutional bodies and counties for seamless service delivery.
Mr Koskei said the workshop was designed to appraise the Cabinets Secretaries with expectations in as per their dockets as they start working.
