CORRIDORS OF POWER

The sporadic transfer of Principal Secretary and ex-state spy Gordon Kihalangwa in quick succession is a cause of concern within government circles. Since President Uhuru Kenyatta won a second term in office in 2017, Kihalangwa's tenure in government has been a roll-coaster of sorts. From Immigration director to PS Immigration then to Defence and now Public Works dockets, Kihalangwa's transfers may just not be ordinary ones. A trained spy who was hailed for installing professionalism in the management of passports, Uhuru's agenda with him is unclear but officers under him must be worried. Corridors of Power is informed that Kihalangwa could be the masterstroke expected to unravel the graft webs at the corruption-infested public works docket.

Siaya County MCAs have laughed off a plot to impeach their Speaker George Okode. It is reported that the ouster plot is being engineered by a contractor who is also angling for a parliamentary seat in one of the constituencies in the county. The man, who boasts of having a strong financial muscle, recently gave some MCAs in the county assembly Sh30,000 each to front the move. However, immediately he left, the MCAs broke into dance and laughter terming the move as total madness and vowed to continue eating the contractor's money but sabotage his plan to have the speaker impeached.

Is President Uhuru Kenyatta's taking a notch higher his appetite for spies in every government docket? Corridors of Power is informed that the Presidents could be planning to use the ongoing recruitment of interns into various government departments to tighten his anti-graft war. Already, there are fears within government circles that the interns being recruited may get express instructions to report on any corrupt activities in all the respective departments in which they will be deployed. Operatives within the state bureaucracy confided to us that the recruits' jobs will go beyond just mere daily assignments to including spying on any shoddy deals among public officers. Isn't this reason for public officers to be wary?

Did attempts by a governor from Central Kenya to get help from State House over anti-graft charges against him, flop? It has emerged that the combative governor could have attempted to seek help from a powerful leader in government but his hues and cries were quickly rebuffed by State House operatives. A small bird within State House whispered to Corridors of Power that the governor could have wanted the State to slow down pursuing him over graft. Particularly, the besieged governor wanted some form of amnesty and a bargain or, worse, a procrastination of his prosecution given the many battles he is fighting within his backyard.