Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday told Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries that they are a key factor in President Ruto getting a second term in office.
During a CSs and PSs performance contract signing event at State House, Nairobi, Gachagua told the cabinet officials that the president is determined they perform without fail.
The second in command said Dr Ruto is keen on securing a second term, telling the State officials that the President will allow anyone to dent his legacy which he described as his own performance contract with the electorate.
“The President’s intention is to have his contract renewed by the people of Kenya so those under him must work hard. He also has a performance contract with Kenyans and your work helps him deliver according to it,” the DP said.
“Your friendship with him is purely based on performance, not campaigning for him.”
Gachagua similarly spoke about his boss’s capping of foreign travel by members of the Executive, terming it worrying that Dr Ruto had to intervene with such a directive.
In Gachagua’s view, that should not have been the case because there should be self-regulation among government officials between outside travel and work in the country.
“Why do you have to honour every invitation to every country? We have had to reschedule meetings because some officials are out of the country. Some even change clothes at the airports,” he said.
“Decide what is useful and leave the rest to ambassadors, the president should not be the one regulating you.”
He criticised the government officials for not showing up for media interviews to explain what they are doing to Kenyans, which he said has given the media “a field day.”
“If it’s travelling, travel to Kenyans to listen to their needs, that one the President will not curb you,” Gachagua told the PSs and CSs.
Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei last week said CSs, PSs, Chief Administrative Secretaries, chairpersons and CEOs of state corporations will only be allowed to travel for events that have a bearing on policy and will not be allowed to travel for more than 15 days per quarter.
This brings the limit to 45 days per year, with officials not being allowed to travel for more than seven days per trip. Through a memo dated July 29, the size of the delegation was also limited to four people for CSs, including the Cabinet Secretary.
On Tuesday, CSs, PSs, heads of parastatals and agencies were given contracts entailing targets they will be needed to achieve during their tenure.
Two CSs; Kithure Kindiki of the Interior Ministry and his Trade counterpart Moses Kuria, were however not in attendance at the performance contract signing event, sparking condemnation from President Ruto. The Head of State demanded a written explanation.
“We have a job because we have a contract, if you cannot keep time with your employer, you have basically dismissed yourself, it is just as simple as that,” an angry President Ruto said.
The signing of performance contracts is among the measures President Ruto is enforcing in his quest to run a transparent and accountable government.
Other measures include his proposal to amend Standing Orders to ensure that ministers can be summoned to Parliament and be grilled on their performance on the floor of the House.
