On November 19, 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta told Cabinet secretaries to abandon what he described as distractions and focus on delivery, saying public officials should be visible at project sites rather than only in meetings and media coverage.
Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service in Liwatoni, Mombasa, Mr Kenyatta said he kept the ministry team out of the early planning because he expected the process to attract demands for large sums of money and political noise.
“I knew they will start telling me about billions required and other stories. I started the plans with General Samson Mwathethe (Chief of Kenya Defence Forces) quietly as we knew some people will bring up some politics here and there,” he said.
The President said the same approach should guide Cabinet secretaries when handling government work. He said they should inspect roads, follow up on stalled projects and supervise implementation directly instead of remaining in their offices.
Mr Kenyatta also pointed to the recovery of the fish landing site at Liwatoni Fisheries Complex, saying he and General Mwathethe made night visits to the area while working on the project.
“We used to go round at night and some of you did not even know that we were here and we finished our work and left knowing what we had planned. Why can’t CSs do the same?” he asked.
He added that holding office was not about attending meetings or seeking publicity. “The only thing we want to do is to see ourselves on TV and newspapers.
“We need to work for these people. We have been given those positions so that we can work for them,” he said.
The remarks were a direct rebuke to ministers he said should be more hands-on, especially on projects that have stalled or need close supervision.
