Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has explained why it is important for the government to have Chief Administrative Secretaries.
Speaking on Sunday, the DP said Cabinet Secretaries have a lot of work that requires them to travel outside the country, and they need to leave someone in-charge, while away.
Gachagua insisted that the benefits of having the CASs will outweigh the cost the taxpayers will incur funding their offices and paying their salaries.
"The minister for Agriculture is hardly in the country and needs to leave someone here to handle other matters that need to be handled by the minister...There's a gap and we need another level of helpers to enable us execute our mandate and the president and I and the rest of us agree with it. The benefits of having CASs will outweigh the cost," the deputy president said.
He further explained that the government is getting to a point where they are stuck, when the CSs travel.
He said the chief administrative secretaries will fill these gaps.
"We are reaching a place where we are getting stuck. We have a lot of work to do to engage with investors across the world. This means CSs need to travel and when they do, they leave a gap."
One of the journalists interviewing Gachagua on Sunday had asked why the government had prioritised hiring of CASs yet the money could be channelled towards employing teachers.
The DP added that even in the past, there were assistant ministers who stood in for ministers whenever they were away, including answering questions in parliament on their behalf.
