Why are we surprised that the Minister for Industrialisation, Henry Kosgey (ODM, Tinderet) went against the National Standards Council, the external headhunter KPMG and his own Permanent Secretary, to appoint the next Managing Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards? He did as others had done before him.
When John Njoroge Michuki (PNU, Kangema) was acting as the Minister for Transport, he ignored the recommendations of the Kenya Airports Authority and controversially extended George Muhoho's term as the MD by a further twelve months. Indeed, when Amos Muhinga Kimunya (PNU, Kipipiri) decided to appoint a new MD for the same agency, the process was riddled with controversy, yet no one remembers these names today.
It has also emerged that at least two relatives of the Prime Minister, one of whom is his sister, have been appointed to diplomatic posts even when none of them has diplomatic training or experience. The Foreign Affairs Minister's assertions that because they have advanced degrees, and that the Prime Minister's sister has knowledge of California, is specious at best and betrays the fact that until a new government takes office after the next general elections, government jobs are still tools for patronage where nepotism, tribalism and any other kind of -ism hold sway.
Kenyans are getting frustrated at the innovative ways that our ministers are using to frustrate the objectives of the new Constitution. It is months since the Referendum and no steps have been taken to separate the inherent conflicts of interest to be found in the conflating of party jobs and ministerial ones. Heads of political parties still simultaneously hold offices in government, be it in the Executive or the Legislature. None of them has shown any indication that they will vacate these seats any time soon. Also, many government appointments, while nominally based on merit, are actually the result of ethnic and family calculations. The implication is that these new appointees are in those positions not to do stellar jobs, but to protect the political flanks of their "appointing authorities."
This state of affairs seems to inform the scale of interest in the position of Governor or Senator that have been created by the new Constitution - politicians seem to see these new offices as new opportunities for patronage and corruption. Many of the so-called professionals that are meeting to strategise about how to 'bring development to the county' do not seem to have political constituencies from whence they come. They meet in secret in the Capital City without so much as a by-your-leave from the residents of these counties. No form of consultation seems to have taken place, nor any kind of civic education regarding the role that the county government will play in peoples' lives. The potential gubernatorial and senatorial contenders seem to be concentrating on the perks of the job rather than a genuine desire to help transform the lives of people through the better management of public resources. The fact that there seems to be emerging a contest between retired politicians and professionals over these positions seems to affirm that many of the potential contenders will be defined by how best they can manipulate the system to their benefit.
Hon. Kosgey's appointment of a person who did not come out top in the headhunting process is proof that our political class has not had a re-awakening since the promulgation of the Constitution. The are still caught up in a history where politicians in influential positions used those positions to benefit the members of their community or their relatives. They do not seem to understand that while at one level they will find supporters for their actions, on another level they are betraying the trust that Kenyans have in the Constitution.
Chapter Six of the Constitution addresses the questions of integrity and leadership. Our current crop of politicians would be hard-pressed to prove that they are willing to live with the principle enshrined in this chapter. This chapter is vital to cleaning up the manner in which leaders in government act in order to ensure that fairness and justice for all will be the watchword of those entrusted in managing national affairs. Indeed, their recent actions suggest that when the moment comes for the vetting of cabinet secretaries and other government officials take place, it will not be merit that tops the list of criteria but political and ethnic calculations. Woe unto us if we permit the likes of the Industrialisation Minister and his cronies to take us for what may well prove to be a very expensive ride.
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