Use the graft purge to create a new Cabinet

Monday’s seizure and charging in court of then-National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, two principal secretaries and a horde of other government officials accord President Kenyatta a chance to undertake far-reaching reorganisation of the government.

Shuffling the Cabinet ministers and PSs is the easiest option. Which is what President Kenyatta did Wednesday when he appointed Ukur Yatani acting Finance minister and shuffled three PSs. Technically, it is Finance PS Kamau Thugge who has been axed. But we are confronted with extraordinary circumstances, which require extraordinary measures. Mere transfers are not enough.

President Kenyatta should make fundamental changes in government. He should carry out a thorough shake-up, sack incompetent ministers and PSs as well as those whose integrity has been brought to question and redeploy others based on skills and abilities. He needs to bring in fresh skills and talent to the government and ensure inclusivity. He has to restore order and discipline in Cabinet and government by creating an efficient system that can deliver on his fabled desire of re-engineering the economy through his ‘Big Four Agenda’ legacy project.

As constituted, the Cabinet is not pulling in the same direction. There is disharmony and mistrust, all of which weigh down the leadership and misdirect energies and resources. Altercations between top individuals in government complete the picture of a dysfunctional system, contrary to assertions that all is well.

President Kenyatta has, on several occasions, warned that he would not entertain mediocrity, that he would sack non-performing and wavering top government officers. He is pretty aware that the Cabinet has excess baggage — those appointed not on the basis of superlative abilities but political connections or owe loyalty more to their benefactors than the government. They hardly deliver on their mandates. They preside over ministries and departments groaning under the yoke of corruption and ineptitude.

When he crafted the government early last year, the country was in the throes of political apocalypse resulting from the acrimonious presidential elections of 2017. That was guided more by desire to please supporters and solidify political base than merit. But a lot of water has gone under the bridge. His March 2018 ‘handshake’ with Opposition leader Raila Odinga heralded a new era of cooperation and that should embolden the President to make decisions unencumbered with political loyalties.

Time is now to change course. The President should go flat out to create a new Cabinet to serve Kenyans and fight corruption.