Deploying Cabinet Secretaries to Mt Kenya to counter Deputy President William Ruto's influence in the region is no big deal to us.
The only problem we would have is if the Cabinet Secretaries exploit government projects for political expediency and try to play partisan politics. Badmouthing Ruto won't work.
As you are aware, the law that we have in place says Cabinet Secretaries are supposed to be civil servants.
They are supposed to be non-partisan in the politics of the day. But interestingly, we have Cabinet Secretaries who are pledging allegiance to some of the 2022 presidential aspirants and that is what we have a problem with.
That is why the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, if functional, would have summoned these CSs to appear before them for violating the Constitution.
That abuse and misuse of public office is unethical and amounts to corruption. When you use your office and public resources to influence the outcome of an election, say by launching or touting government projects, that is corruption.
However, this deployment of CSs will not have an impact on the Hustler Movement in Mt Kenya. That's because the people of that region are aware that these projects were conceptualised during the first term of the Jubilee administration when President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto were still together.
In any case, handing over of the project work in favour of the Deputy President was telling. People remember it was the President and his DP who commissioned the projects.
It was Uhuru and Ruto who formed the current government in 2013; so the completion of the projects, not just in Mt Kenya region but across the country, is a clear testament to the track record of the Deputy President.
It means that if there are any pending projects, the person who understands and should be allowed to complete them is none other than William Ruto.
This is because he knows how the projects were conceived and how they were supposed to be funded. In fact, the President sending his CSs to commission projects to push certain political interests will be obvious to everyone and will work in our favour.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei spoke to the Star
(Edited by V. Graham)
