Have Cabinet Secretaries been used to promote the agenda of the presidency?

The participation of parastatal chiefs, Cabinet and principal secretaries in the presidential campaign has generated a lot of debate, with claims that their actions are against the law.

What Kenyans forget is that these offices also wield political authority because they are appointed largely through a political process. Secondly, since they report to a political office, their performance outcomes can make or break the office of the presidency.

In a nutshell, they can help the top political leadership win a new term by devoting their political influence to service delivery and less on vocal politics and boardroom election machinations. It would, therefore, naturally follow that those who get involved in scandals erode the standing of the President and indirectly deny him votes critical to his re-election.

It is very important that ministries and parastatals focus on service delivery and attainment of their departmental goals and objectives. Winning voters should ideally begin in the first 100 days of their term but the last mile could make a difference as witnessed by the launch of the SGR. Participation of civil servants in campaigns risks making an irreparable dent on the President’s legacy.