Talk of town: Curse of the CAS, of appointees who don’t know their titles
President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Minister Musalia Mudavadi takes a group photo with the newly sworn-in Chief Administrative Secretaries at State House, Nairobi.
If you thought you were confused about the role of the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), just know you are not alone.
Some of the 50 who were sworn in last Thursday appears to be struggling to define their title.
One posted on social media that she was excited to start her new role as Chief Cabinet Secretary (hallo, Musalia Mudavadi).
Others have described themselves as Assistant Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Cabinet Secretary while one claimed to be the “ministry’s administrator”.
But, says our mole, a well-connected CAS appointed to a sensitive docket recently baffled many when she declared she will be running the ministry since she is senior to the “inexperienced” Principal Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary is “clueless”.
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When one door is closed for ODM rebel...
Remember the ODM rebel MP who was forced to seek hotel accommodation in the neighbouring Vihiga County after facilities in Kisumu declined to check him in over security fears?
Well, the man is said to have resigned to fate that he is likely to be a one-term MP and will not bother defending his seat come 2027 due to hostility for supposedly betraying ODM leader Raila Odinga.
However, Mheshimiwa told some of his colleagues that even if he fails to re-capture the seat, President William Ruto was likely to be reelected for a second term and would be appointed to a plum State job.
Apart from the hope for a future big job, he also thinks his wallet will be fatter in the next four and a half years.
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Parastatal boss and her succession plot
A powerful personal assistant to the CEO of a critical parastatal has been appointed to a newly created powerful director role.
The staff at the agency based in Nairobi’s Upper Hill are shocked by the speed with which the vacancy was created, interviews conducted and appointment of the well-connected candidate announced.
This is while many staff have stagnated in the same job group for more than 10 years.
The new office falls just under the Deputy CEO’s office, which raises the question: Is the feared CEO, who is about to retire, plotting to succeed herself by appointing her PA to the powerful position with the hope that he will ascend to the top post?
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Family business first
The sister to a powerful State officer is said to have taken a sabbatical from a government agency she works for under the Health ministry to go and help her brother in running errands.
The woman is said to be moving from one office to another, in some instances asking for “commission” from those seeking favours from her brother’s lucrative office.
To prove that this is serious business, Talk of Town has learnt that those who fail to sing to her tune don’t get an ear of the brother.
The big man’s sister is said to be so powerful that she told her employer she is busy elsewhere and did not even need their salary.
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Football official on the attack
A top football administrator has vowed to punish one of the clubs in the Kenyan Premier League whose officials are seen as a threat to his stay in office.
The administrator is envious that the club official has been received well in government circles and has blessings from the incumbent regime to go for the top post of management of football next year.
To clip the club official’s wings, the administrator is said to have sabotaged a friendly match against a team from a neighbouring country.
As if that is not enough, has also decided to frustrate the club by going slow on its registration process of new players hoping to lock them out as the deadline approaches.
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Big Man syndrome in top gear
Six months into office, a senior government official holding a lucrative docket seems to be swimming in money.
The man recently told some of his friends that he is looking for a helicopter to buy for his own operations.
He is also said to use every opportunity to show whoever cares to know that he is close to the seat of power.
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Give way, I've got a drink to catch!
Our mole confided to us that a senior official has developed a tendency to harass motorists along Ngong Road in Nairobi as he frequently goes for private meetings at a popular restaurant.
The convoy includes high-end government fuel guzzlers and whether he is going for lunch or an official meeting, his aides usually demand that the traffic police clear the road.
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