On 2018-11-20, President Uhuru Kenyatta used a public event in Liwatoni, Mombasa, to tell Cabinet Secretaries to abandon office-bound routines and get directly involved in government projects.
Speaking after launching the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the President said ministers should personally monitor work on the ground, including road construction and other public projects, instead of limiting themselves to meetings and media appearances.
He said he kept the Coast Guard planning process tightly controlled because he expected objections over cost and politics. According to him, he worked quietly with General Samson Mwathethe, the Chief of Kenya Defence Forces, to avoid early resistance from people who would have raised “billions required and other stories.”
“I knew they will start telling me about billions required and other stories. I started the plans with General Mwathethe (Chief of Kenya Defence Forces General Samson) quietly as we knew some people will bring up some politics here and there,” President Kenyatta said.
The Head of State said holding office should mean active supervision of service delivery, not simply attending meetings. He urged the CSs to visit stalled projects, ask questions, and ensure money allocated for development reaches its intended targets.
“It means going to the ground and supervising projects and asking questions about the stalled ones. 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.
He also pointed to his own earlier impromptu visits to the Coast as an example of the kind of pressure government officials should expect. He said that together with General Mwathethe, they had made night visits to the Liwatoni Fisheries Complex to recover the fish landing site.
“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.
President Kenyatta told the ministers to use the remaining period before the political season to focus on service delivery, recover grabbed public land, and protect public utilities. He also warned against corruption and said Kenyans wanted results, not excuses.
“Ama mwasemaje wenzangu? Si hivyo ndio tunataka? (Isn’t that what we want?)” he asked, adding that he is committed to ensuring Kenya exploits its natural resources to boost the economy.
Deputy President William Ruto and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho both praised the President’s message. Mr Ruto said the government’s focus was on creating opportunities for young people and advancing manufacturing and food security.
Mr Joho said the renewed energy from the President would help Kenya meet its development goals. He added that the country should seize the opportunities now emerging and work for the benefit of ordinary people.
Joho, once a sharp critic of the Jubilee administration, said he had declared a ceasefire with President Kenyatta after the handshake between the Head of State and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
