This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
Uhuru's Military Takeover Raises Eyebrows ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to appoint military officers to key government positions has raised eyebrows, with critics accusing him of undermining democracy.
Since 2020, over 20 military officers have been appointed to various government institutions, sparking concerns about the role of the military in civilian governance.
Brigadier (Retired) John Kibasa Warioba, who was appointed as the Commissioner of Prisons on Wednesday, is the latest military officer to be appointed to a key government position.
Warioba took over from Brigadier (Retired) Wycliffe Ogallo, who was appointed after three terror suspects escaped from the maximum-security Kamiti Prison.
Critics argue that Kenyatta's decision to appoint military officers to key government positions is a threat to democracy.
“Appointing military officers to head civilian institutions is a blow to democracy. Removing Governor Mike Sonko and appointing Mohamed Badi is a threat to democracy,” said lawyer Makau Mutua.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua has also criticized Kenyatta's decision, saying: “We will soon find ourselves with a military-led government.”
Kenyatta has defended his decision, saying that military officers are trustworthy and will help him achieve his development goals before he leaves office in 2022.
“It's foolish to think that one cannot use diligent people to help achieve their goals. I work with Kenyans of integrity and I believe in the Kenya Defence Forces. Military officers are also Kenyans like any other,” Kenyatta said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also called on the government to make reforms and control the misuse of public funds in some institutions to enable Kenya to access a $2.6 billion loan approved earlier this year.
Some economists believe that Kenyatta's decision to appoint military officers to civilian institutions is aimed at curbing corruption.
Political analyst Ochieng' Kanyadudi says that the appointment of military officers is aimed at bringing discipline to various institutions.
“Many institutions have been marred by corruption. But military officers have high integrity. They have been trained to follow orders without questioning. I think it's their integrity that has made Kenyatta believe in them,” Kanyadudi said.
Former General Moses Oyugi was appointed to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) committee after he was sacked from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) board.
On March 2020, Kenyatta appointed Major General Mohamed Badi to head the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS). NMS has been in charge of health services, infrastructure, environment, education, and other services.
In the first year, NMS was allocated a budget of Sh28.3 billion – almost double the Sh15.4 billion allocated to the Nairobi County Government.
On September 2020, Kenyatta directed Badi to attend the Cabinet meeting. In June 2020, Badi appointed a fellow military officer, Major General (Retired) Andrew Ikenye, to head the Nairobi Water Company.
Other military officers working in NMS include Brigadier F. Leuria, Major J.V Mbithi, Major A.N Nyakundi, Major J. K. Ngoroge, Colonel J.K.Biomdo, and Major A.L. Musoma.
Colonel Alice Mate was appointed six months ago as the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA). The agency has been tasked with combating corruption and economic crimes.
