This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
Kenya's Education ministry has been making headlines lately, with the new minister, Prof George Magoha, facing criticism from KNUT officials and some Kenyans who feel he is militarizing the docket. However, it seems even workers at the Ministry are feeling the weight of his leadership.
According to insiders, Prof Magoha calls his meetings before 6 am, a schedule that ministry workers find torturous. 'Whereas government business normally starts at 8 am, Prof Magoha reports in the office at 5:30 am and starts making random calls as he asks questions and retorts how lazy we are and wonders which kind of schools we went to,' lamented a worker.
When ordering the ministry officials to report to his office immediately, the CS would allegedly pose the signature question, 'Where are we getting money from?' Senior officers are at a loss since most of them graduated from the University of Nairobi, where Magoha was vice chancellor for ten years.
Prof Magoha's behavior has left many in the ministry feeling intimidated and belittled. 'He's one person who talks about president's instructions in very trivial issues,' lamented a senior ministry official.
As the ministry struggles to come to terms with Magoha's leadership style, many are left wondering if this is the kind of leadership Kenya needs.
