Video: President Uhuru shames ‘idling’ Cabinet Secretaries, PA
It was long overdue but at last President Uhuru Kenyatta seems to have heeded the call from many Kenyans who have complained about the negligence of state officials.Uhuru lashed out at state officials including his Cabinet Secretaries for sitting idly and “glancing at their watches” instead of taking notes even when important statements that needed to be taken into account were being made.“Am looking down and my brother (Mwangi) Kiunjuri has just opened his pad to write what I am saying. But he was not interested in writing what these Kenyans are saying, maybe it has nothing to do with Agriculture,” said Uhuru eliciting laughter.
He added, “But he forgets he is the minister of the Republic of Kenya and whatever that is said he should be interested to know what is it that these people are telling us and what is it that they want to know, how do we follow.”As he directed his verbal attacks on his Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri and Trade and Industrialization CS Peter Munya, the two stare at him with shame catalyzed by laughter in the house.“The same applies to you bwana Munya. Tunaangalia tu. unasikia tu hao mawaziri wangu? Wanaangalia… sio yale mmesema. Inabakia ni mimi nikumbuke, nisipokumbuka hiyo imepotea (We are just staring. You hear my Cabinet Secretaries? They are not listening to what you are saying. What remains is for me to remember, if I don’t, then that goes into waste),” says Uhuru.It is not the first time that state officials have been on the spot for not taking notes during events.Last year, a delegation that had accompanied President Uhuru to Cuba were slammed by Kenyans on social media for sitting idle as officials from Cuba were busy writing.
Last year also, another delegation that accompanied Uhuru to the United States where he held bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump did not even have notebooks and pens to record what was happening.On the contrary, the US officials were seen to be keenly listening and busy drafting what was being said.The president was speaking when he called out on Foreign Affairs Monica Juma on the issuance of passports to Kenyan citizens living in the diaspora.
By Michael Chepkwony
