Sicily Kariuki, an early bloomer who rose to be minister in 3 dockets
From left: Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia, former Water CS Sicily Kariuki, former Health Chief Cabinet Secretary Dr Mercy Mwagangi and former Public Service and Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Linah Jebii Kilimo during the launch of Ms Kariuki's book Breaking the Illusions at the Nairobi Club on February 9, 2024.
What you need to know:
- She was a secondary school headteacher by 21 and Chief Executive Officer of the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya.
- A risk taker, she had begun her career with FPEAK as the Export Promotion Manager, having left a more secure position at the Investment Promotion Centre, now Kenya Investment Authority.
Ukiona vyaelea jua vimeundwa. Every manifestation of excellence is preceded by deliberate and purposeful effort. This Swahili saying is even truer for successful people in public life that you are tempted to think, in the words of Shakespeare, were born great or had greatness thrust upon them.
It is not until you are let into the sheer grit that prepared them to reach the offices they came to occupy that you are awestruck by the road they took and the journey they walked to achieve greatness.
This is the story of Sicily Kariuki, the former Cabinet Secretary, as told in her memoir, Breaking the Illusions, published by Kenway Publications, an imprint of East African Educational Publishers.
Kanini (‘the tiny one’) was born two days after the Christmas of 1965 in Embu, “a county of rolling green hills and simmering plains, interposed by crystal-clear rivers snaking their ways into the Indian Ocean, hundreds of kilometres away.”
An early bloomer, she was a secondary school headteacher by 21 and Chief Executive Officer of the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK) at only 35, before becoming the CEO of the Tea Board of Kenya at 39, the first woman to occupy the office since the agency’s inception in the 1950s.
A risk taker, she had begun her career with FPEAK as the Export Promotion Manager, having left a more secure position at the Investment Promotion Centre, now Kenya Investment Authority, a government agency. When she was appointed Cabinet Secretary in 2015, she was the first woman from Embu to ascend to the high office.
Breaking the Illusions is thus the story of a girl who grew up on the outskirts of Embu town, which sits at the feet of Mwenenyaga (‘God’s resting place’), as some call Mt Kenya, who, against all odds, rose to the highest echelons of government.
Ms Kariuki writes with nostalgia about her birthplace where “when we were young and the effects of climate change were not yet so acute, the ice-capped mountain shone brightly, projecting unimaginable beauty and power.”
Illustrious career
The memoir traces her life through school to her illustrious career in the private and public sectors, before rising to become Agriculture principal secretary and later serving in three key ministries as Cabinet Secretary.
The memoir headlines the value of the environment and role models in shaping a successful future. “One of the things that greatly motivated me as a child was the economic disparity between our humble house and the grandeur of former Cabinet Minister Jeremiah Nyagah’s home.
Every time I went to fetch milk from Nyagah’s family, I promised to work hard to provide a better future for my family. This early experience planted the seed of determination that has been with me throughout my career journey,” she writes.
This determination was, however, interspersed with a playful nature, a “trait that remains with me to this date.” This easy charm, however, contrasts with her other demeanour for which she has earned the moniker ‘Thatcher’, after the no-nonsense British prime minister.
As minister for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, she cancelled a planned extravaganza that was to feature the Congolese musician Koffi Olomide after he kicked one of his female dancers.
The alumna of Maryhill, Machakos Girls and Kangaru School reveals that she repeated Form Six before she qualified for university admission, and points to this experience as the height of her resilience, focus and determination.
“Kangaru School served as the educational starting point for many accomplished individuals, including my fellow students Adan Mohamed, later my Cabinet colleague, and Justin Muturi, who rose to the position of Speaker of the National Assembly and Attorney-General.”
It was as she waited to join university – a two-year wait owing to the effects of the 1982 attempted coup – that she taught first at Nyangwa Boys, a period she describes as difficult, and at Gichiche Secondary School, where she became headteacher at 21.
It was at the University of Nairobi, studying for a Bachelor of Commerce degree, that she met her future husband, Kariuki Chege, whom she fondly refers to as KC, the quiet entrepreneur who complements her outgoing mien.
Former CS Sicily Kariuki's memoir Breaking the Illusions.
There are also dramatic episodes, such as when the author, then CEO of the Tea Board of Kenya, stood up to Nicholas Biwott, the feared former powerful minister in the Moi administration, who wanted a tea factory licence without meeting the minimum requirement, and when she wore a buibui to majority-Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Egypt and Sudan, which buy much of Kenya’s tea. This aggressive marketing and reforms such as the Tea Regulations of 2008, which brought better governance and transparency to the sector, saw foreign exchange earnings rise from Sh47 billion to Sh113 billion.
Bureaucratic processes
The memoir also opens a window into the leadership style of President William Ruto, under whom the author served when he was minister of Agriculture. “Ruto was an intriguing leader who stood out for his sharpness, daring nature and strong presence. He was always ready to take action. He did not pander to bureaucratic processes and protocols, and he often met directly with the CEOs of the various parastatals under his purview.”
The author, who survived two impeachment attempts, does not shy away from commenting on the controversial stints of her career such as when she came under pressure to resign over the National Youth Service scandals or when she was controversially accused of plotting, with others in the Cabinet, to assassinate then DP Ruto or when the loud whispers that she is related to the Kenyattas reached a crescendo.
She writes of the dilemma that Cabinet Secretaries face in running their ministries. “An error in payment figures by a State directorate could spell career doom even though intricacies of tender awards and payments are assigned to accounting officers. Whenever someone in the labyrinthine layers of ministry bureaucracy pinches something, the CSs are in trouble.”
Mama Vijana (mother of youth), as some call her, is, however, proud of the empowerment programmes for women and youth, as well as Huduma Centres, which she helped establish or expand.
“Universal Healthcare pilot programme also remains a significant achievement in my tenure in the (Health) ministry. It ran for one-and-half years, during which nearly three million Kenyans received free, quality healthcare,” she writes.
She mentions mentorship as one of her hobbies and cites Dr Mercy Mwangangi, the young Cabinet Administrative Secretary who rose to fame during the Covid pandemic for her confident updates, as one of her proud mentees.
Ms Kariuki also wades into her brief campaign for governor of Nyandarua County, and her current career as an Executive Leadership Coach and Emotional Intelligence Practitioner. Thus, the deliberate and purposeful effort continues for the ambitious woman who dares to dream – big.
