• Sonko associates no longer believe he has a chance in the Senate, certain that Uhuru wants him to go.
• Former powerful MP from Nyanza is broke, actually begging colleagues to buy him lunch at a KICC restaurant.
Image: FILE
Are some Chief Administrative Secretaries idle, incompetent or just in the wrong job? Take for instance a CAS whose boss, the Cabinet Secretary, has quietly but consistently been pushing to have the CAS moved. The officer is said to have no idea of what the job entails. The officer, it's whispered, never attends technical meetings where intellectual input is required. Instead, the officer is using the plum job as a springboard to politics. There are whispers about the CAS's incessant demands to parastatal heads. President Uhuru Kenyatta (pictured) on Monday hinted he may not be making changes in his government. However, some insiders say he needs to rethink this decision and spearhead a grand house cleaning before he exits the stage.
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A former MP from the former Nyanza province has become the talk of the town. The once-powerful man is broke and has resorted to begging. The ex-legislator has turned a restaurant at KICC in Nairobi into his operating area where he begs friends for help, especially sitting MPs. During his heyday, the man visited high-end hotels with tens of hangers-on. Last week, he was heard pleading with an MP from the region for lunch. Insiders say that has become the habit of the former honourable member who is said to be living from hand to mouth.
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Governor Mike Sonko's inner circle initially believed the handshake team could save the governor in the Senate after all. Why? They say if Sonko is kicked out, that would also mark the end of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services. However, this changed after President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly praised General Mohammed Badi for changing the face of Nairobi in months. Those close to Sonko say the President’s comments appeared to signal that he is done with Sonko. There is also speculation that a 'handshake squad' is silently being put together to run in a by-election if the Senate upholds Sonko's impeachment. This would see the seat largely uncontested.
A referral hospital recently wanted to require patients to pay upfront before being admitted, but quickly backed off fearing a backlash from Kenyans and perhaps Health CS Mutahi Kagwe. An internal memo to casualty, wards, finance and billing sections explained that the decision was made to mitigate the effects of bill waivers on the hospital’s finances. The changes were to take effect from December 1. The management of the facility seems to have forgotten that barely three months ago, the Senate recommended that a hospital in Nairobi be fined Sh3 million for negligence that caused the death of a patient. The patient was only treated after confirmation of payment was received.