Talk of town: No, thanks, retired senior official says of job to mentor successor

No, thanks, retired senior official says of job

A retired high-ranking civil servant who served in the previous administration has turned down a request to coach his successor.

Our mole tells us that the man is said to be concerned that the opportunity could blot his distinguished career.

The incumbent is said to have annoyed his appointing authority with a series of mistakes, some of which have embarrassed the office.

It’s back to the drawing board for the appointing authority. Meanwhile, our source tells us to reserve space next Sunday for an update on the unfolding saga.

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MPs anger at parastatal chief

The head of a parastatal is in MPs’ crosshairs after delegating to the Personal Assistant the responsibility of meeting with lawmakers who visit the office for assistance.

The lawmakers have vowed to teach the agency boss a lesson in the next financial year through massive budget cuts to the organisation.

The MPs complained in one of the meetings that they have been reduced to leaving their complaints and even documents with the PA.

Legislators’ calls are subsequently ignored. Our mole says that when the boss recently realised that the MPs were angry and could hit back, he promised to change, but still asked lawmakers to book an appointment first.

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Villagers camp in minister’s office

Staff in one of the ministries are calling for help from concerned authorities in dealing with a big delegation from the village that normally visits their office demanding a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary.

As early as 6am, Kenyans from the CS’s village are always already at the office lining up to have an audience with him to help them secure jobs.

The visitors are so many that the staff say they are sometimes forced to give them their seats while others stand on the boardroom corridors.

To make matters worse, the ‘visitors’ always insist that they are ready to wait till late whenever they are told ‘their son’ is not available.

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CS with ‘big’ position under pressure

Still on CSs and trouble with their communities, another minister, seen on paper as senior in government, is under fire for what locals say is not influencing any appointment of people from his region to any top position.

Members of the community say that the much-hyped position a leader from their region was given in the government was just hot air and has no ‘meat.’

Leaders from the region now want to lobby for the man to be transferred, and have given him one last chance to prove himself.

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WhatsApp lands diplomats in trouble

A group of foreign diplomats are fighting to fend off a discovery that they may have taken political sides during last year’s General Election.

This is after one political side blasted them when it came to their knowledge that the diplomats were in an ‘underground’ WhatsApp group where one of the main contenders in the poll was an active member.

One of the diplomats who has been trying to seek an audience with the political honcho was recently informed that the man can’t give them an appointment until they explain their covert activities as captured in the group.

Now, the diplomats feel they may not be able to get firsthand goings-on from that wing.

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HR projects qualifications on screens

The decision by an agency in the health sector to undertake mapping of its members of staff has not been well received by the employees.

Already, the Human Resources management team and their juniors are working together with heads of departments to reshuffle staff.

The team is projecting staff qualifications on big screens and discussing them in the presence of other staff members, a move that has caused unease among the staff members.

Aggrieved staff have demanded a change to this, with some planning to move to court to challenge the privacy invasion.