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Corridors of Power

The flamboyant governor hawking key positions to business community

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by The Star

Big-read20 March 2019 - 14:41
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EACC chief executive Twalib Mbarak.

A county boss seems to have found new ways of making money. This has puzzled his close associates. The flamboyant governor, who is said to have kept five key county positions intentionally vacant, is hawking the position to some members of the business community at a fee. The county chief, our mole says, is demanding several millions, with a promise of giving the vacant posts to whoever is willing to cough up the cash. Since taking the oath of office, the governor has never had all positions substantially filled. Aren't these the ethical and integrity issues EACC boss Twalib Mbarak (pictured) should be looking into?

A senior assistant commissioner of prisons, who was assigned a station despite being too junior to head one, is a worried man. He was the link between a top government official and his bosses. His station was used as a conduit through which cash would be allocated from the headquarters to ghost projects at the station but the money would make its way back into the pockets of his godfathers in Nairobi. Interestingly, the man has been selling prison property and using prison resources to run his own businesses and build houses for his concubines. He is worried that his godfathers' influence is waning and that is exposing him to scrutiny.

Members of an influential WhatsApp group with a catchment from Baringo county yesterday bashed Eala MP Jematiah Sergon in a bitter exchange that nearly turned nasty. The group members, who are largely women, tore into the politician over her comments about hunger in the region. The MP had said there are no starvation-related deaths and the victims shown in the media were just posing for photos. Angry members took the politician head-on, accusing her of being out of touch with reality, with many residents at risk of dying of hunger. Is the MP aware that her own people are staring at death? Why has she decided to downplay the issue, despite the evidence? Perhaps she needs to tour her county before making any comment.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s order for ministries to cut spending to spur development seems to be just word on the street. Why? State officers have maintained lavish spending, some for things that can be done without spending a coin. For instance, a senior government official will fly to Mombasa tomorrow to respond to a question raised by MPs. What is puzzling is the value the officer will add to the question, having made a 'shoddy' presentation earlier when he was given time to respond to the matter.

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