KAJIADO: Former Interior and National Coordination of Government Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku has broken his silence since exiting the Cabinet.
Before this interview kicks off, Lenku makes a humble request. “Let’s pray,” he asks.
His prayer portrays his humility as man who is at peace with his God. First, was he sacked by President Uhuru Kenyatta or did he relinquish his position willingly?
The soft-spoken man, who was ridiculed and mocked by Kenyans on social and mainstream media after the botched Westgate terror attack declined to answer that question.
Unbearable
Looking more relaxed now, and enjoying the company of his cheerful wife Edna and daughter Silantoi, he however, admits that relentless pressure and what he calls “malicious attacks” forced him out.
“It is malice and external pressure that brought the problem, otherwise the President appreciated my honesty and ability to do my work diligently.”
Lenku says the President appreciated his work and had faith in him; but blames those he worked with for his woes.
Asked if he was handed a termination letter by the President, the former Cabinet Secretary remains non-committal.
“Please, let me not answer that question for reasons that I’m not going to share,” he says and refutes reports in a local newspaper earlier that he was still a Minister without portfolio.
After further prodding he offers: “I begged the President and told him, please allow me to step aside, because the malicious attacks against me and the government were becoming unbearable. It was bigger than Lenku”.
But how did get the plum Cabinet job?
Lenku says the Head of State could have seen his profile from documents he had used to apply for the position of Principal Secretary (PS).
His name was among those short-listed for the PS jobs, but he was instead called and interviewed for the CS job by the President himself.
Looking back, Lenku disagrees that he was thrown into the deep end after he was appointed to the sensitive interior security docket.
“Nothing could be further from the truth because a ministry is about policy formulation, leading teams, managing people and available resources,” he says.
The 45-year father of four, says the President could have looked at his eight-year service in the private sector and another eight in the public service in the hospitality industry. Perhaps the reason the President picked him to head the security ministry is because of his rich academic credentials that include a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi, an MBA in strategic leadership and a doctorate degree he was pursuing.
The lessons
So what went wrong at the Ministry?
“The fact that I was handling a super docket that controlled a lot of money made my detractors uncomfortable as they instigated that I needed a lighter ministry but that did not distract me from my work,” he shares.
And what were the highlights of his one year term?
“Westgate was one of the lowest moments for me. It was a shock to our security systems. It was badly handled but lessons learned are being applied today,” he says.
Speaking of the September 2013 Westgate attack, why the many gaffes? He says the reason the number of terrorists in the building kept changing was because of the briefing he got, and he never lied.
Lowest moments
But how did Lenku handle the bad publicity and scorn that head of the family received, including being referred to as “a cook”?
“Nobody cared to put the record straight and explain to Kenyans that I was a highly qualified professional capable of doing my job,” he says at his home in Nairobi.
He takes a deep breath, before recounting that his family was traumatised, his three daughters and a son were victimised by colleagues at school and his wife also found it hard to handle the pressure on him.
But he has moved on and forgiven all his ‘haters’.
His high moments?
When the President sent him to Geneva in 2014 where he successfully negotiated for Kenya to host the World Trade Organisation meeting in Nairobi last year.
Nearly two years down the line, that dark and challenging past is now behind him and he is looking forward to a fresh start as he explores what life has to offer.
For now, he is happy and at peace enjoying the company of his wife and children as they wait for the KCSE examinations results of his first born daughter Silantoi.
“I know she will make me proud. She is a bright girl,” he concludes.
