Corridors of Power | The Star, Kenya

Is Lands CS Farida Karoney (above) a targeted person? Well, a mole has whispered that at least 60 senior officers in the ministry, whom the CS reportedly reshuffled in June last year, are plotting to cut her to size. The officers were reshuffled after a secret report by an investigative agency revealed to the CS that they were the real cartels behind multiple allocation of land and missing files at Ardhi House. The mole intimated that some of the officers had served in their positions for decades and are behind stalled reforms at the ministry. They have been hatching a plan to kick the CS out of Ardhi House. How they plan to execute their plot remains a mystery.

A CEO of one of the independent commissions is a worried man. The man said to suffer from self-esteem problems has been on the rampage. He is known for his reprimands and belittling of officers, especially those who don’t agree with him or those who don’t take part in his routine gossip against members of staff. He is described by some insiders as a troublemaker. But it’s him who is now staring at trouble. Last week, he issued show-cause letters to half his staff who were late for a meeting by two minutes. The staff are irked by the move and are contemplating legal action as the offences cited in the letters are vindictive and out to victimise them. Others have prepared a memorandum to hand to the new commissioners, detailing the indecisiveness and unprofessional conduct of the CEO.

During the Dusit terror attack, Nairobi governor Mike Sonko showed up a day later with pistols tucked in his waist and pocket. However, his propaganda machinery tried to downplay the serious security breach, arguing the governor was just carrying a mere power bank. But what will they say of the governor’s fat coat pockets during the Wednesday night’s JKL show? Well, this time round the spinners may lack any serious fodder after it became clear the governor was carrying in his pockets wads of notes. It was not clear what the governor intended to do with the cash as the monologue interview continued. Indeed, the office of the governor comes at a price and occasional display of flamboyance and flashiness, you may conclude.

Did the ODM NEC unanimously decide to expel rebel MPs Aisha Jumwa and Suleiman Dori yesterday? Corridors is informed three NEC members protested the majority decision to expel the duo, but were overruled. There are also legal questions being raised after it emerged the NEC was not properly constituted as required under the ODM constitution. Only about half of the members attended the meeting, raising questions that the decision would as well have been predetermined during a secret meeting held at ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Capitol Hill office on Wednesday. It would be interesting to see how matters unfold in the coming days.