CAPTION: Water Permanent Secretary (PS) Joseph Wairagu alongside Cabinet Secretary (CS) Cecily Kariuki As is the norm in every Kenyan electioneering period, upcoming polls in August have already begun shaking things up within various government departments and parastatals as dozens of top-ranked civil servants plot their exit from high-end offices into the rough political battlefield.
The latest victim of this extraordinary type of greed is the Ministry of Water where anonymous insiders have exclusively exposed how two top officials with political ambitions have turned the state agency into their personal cash cow ahead of elections.
Through a message forwarded to the nyakundireport.com newsdesk on Monday, 31st January 2022, trusted sources disclosed that over the past few months, Cabinet Secretary (CS) Cecily Kariuki and Permanent Secretary (PS) Joseph Wairagu have made it their goal to ensure that all government water projects facilitated by the ministry only go to their respective home counties where they both intend to seek elective positions.
In Nyandarua, CS Kariuki has hinted wanting to replace President Uhuru's right-hand man, Francis Kimemia as the county boss.
On the other hand, PS Wairagu has been a pain in the neck for Governor Mwangi Wa Iria in Murang'a where he is vigorously mobilizing with a bid to overthrow him.
Apart from sabotaging all activities at the ministry, CS Kariuki and PS Wairagu have also borrowed a leaf from some of the world's top political extortionists by blackmailing stakeholders within the water industry to donate millions of funds into their campaign teams.
On one specific occasion last week, CS Kariuki is reported to have summoned a host of Managers and influential Board Directors from various water companies to a dinner at the Nairobi Safari Club where attendees bought a mandatory Sh300,000 "plate of food".
According to our source, the money was collected under a money-laundering firm disguised as a private foundation in honour of her late daughter who passed away in 2021.
The funds were wired to the Noni Kariuki Foundation under an Equity Bank account hosted at the Community Corporate Branch. "Hi Nyakundi, the Ministry of water has become a cash cow for the Minister and The CS. CS Cecily Kariuki and PS Wairugu are both aspiring to be Governors in Nyandarua and Murang'a Counties respectively. For starters, all watering projects are getting directed to the two counties only. You cannot get a borehole drilled in a county outside those two counties, let us say Kiambu, all the borehole budget is being used by the CS and the PS in their respective counties. Last week, all the water companies management and water board directors were summoned and ordered to attend a fundraiser at Nairobi Safari Club. The dinner was to raise funds for CS Cecily Kariuki's Gubernatorial seat launch. The attendees were to buy a plate at Ksh 300,000/= and the money was being collected under a disguised Foundation of the daughter who passed away some months ago. The Foundation name is; Noni Kariuki Foundation Support of Charity Work and the account where the 300K was being deposited is hosted at Equity Bank Community Corporate Branch. The Directors of Water Boards and Water Companies Managers are being threatened to channel money to the CS and PS," our source wrote. Aside from CS Kariuki and PS PS Wairagu, speculation has been rife on other members of President Uhuru Kenyatta's cabinet said to be planning to run for various elective offices in the 2022 General Elections.
While rumours have long persisted of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries' plans for 2022, criticism is now being directed at them with some questioning whether the split focus is affecting service delivery.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala disclosed in a past interview that he was considering running for Governor of Mombasa County in 2022.
Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho is currently serving his final term, with Balala and Shabhal touted as two of his likely successors.
Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo of the Wiper Democratic Movement and his Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir have also been linked to possible runs for the seat.
Former Meru Governor Peter Munya has also been linked to a return to the county in 2022.
The Agriculture CS joined President Uhuru Kenyatta's cabinet after losing the Gubernatorial race to Kiraitu Murungi in 2017.
Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes is also said to be plotting a run for Governor of Turkana County in 2022
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe who became a familiar figure to many Kenyans during the Covid-19 pandemic is rumoured to be considering another stab at the Nyeri gubernatorial position in 2022 after he lost to the late Wahome Gakuru in 2017.