President Ruto's honours list causes a storm

President William Ruto's Jamhuri Day honours list has kicked up a fierce political storm within and outside the government, even as questions remain over the credibility of the awards.

The State commendations list is dominated by politicians, government officials and individuals allied to the President and the Kenyatta administration.

Eleven governors, nine cabinet secretaries, four Speakers of Parliament, Defence Chief General Francis Ogolla, Civil Service Chief Felix Koskei and athlete Faith Kipyegon have been awarded the highest state honour, the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart.

The governors include Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Jonathan Bii (Uasin Gishu), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Abdi Ibrahim 'Guyo' (Isiolo), Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu), Cecily Mbarire (Embu), Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi), Ali Mohamud (Marsabit), Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir) and Mohamed Khalif (Mandera).

The ministers are Mithika Linturi, Soipan Tuya, Peninah Malonza, Ezekiel Machogu, Zachariah Njeru, Davis Chirchir, Rebecca Miano, Eliud Owalo and Susan Nakhumicha, while the four parliamentary leaders are Kimani Ichung'wah, Opiyo Wandayi, Aaron Cheruiyot and Stewart Madzayo.

Among the cabinet secretaries left out was Moses Kuria, who did not take it lightly that he was overlooked by the president.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Kuria linked his omission from the list to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, whose office houses the National and County Governments Honours Advisory Committee.

“We shall be there no matter what,” said the CS, who has been at loggerheads with the deputy president since the Kenya Kwanza government came to power.

Narok Senator Ledama Olekina also took to X in support of CS Kuria, saying: “Yes we shall … they can even paste on their faces it won’t mean a thing … actions and deeds honour you, not some stupid skewed process …”

But it was not only CS Kuria who cried foul over the way the honours were awarded, with Edwin Sifuna, the Senate Deputy Minority Whip and Nairobi Senator, also making his views known.

The ODM secretary-general was left out of the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), a first-class honour to which a number of his contemporaries were awarded. The category included the likes of Dennis Itumbi.

Senator Sifuna claimed that President Ruto denied him the opportunity despite his exemplary performance in Parliament since his election.

“I respect Ruto’s decision denying me the national honours I had been nominated for. I knew the President would not agree to award me the CBS because of the way I have been keeping the government on its toes. I always knew the disdain was mutual,” said Mr Sifuna.

He said that under the National Honours Act, 2013, each institution and arm of government has a committee charged with making recommendations, and not everyone's name is put forward, but only those with exemplary service.

“There is a very serious issue of separation of powers here. If an arm of government has nominated someone to be honoured, why should someone in the Executive veto such a recommendation? It is a tradition that if you hold a parliamentary position you are awarded. It is Parliament that recommended me and not myself,” the senator said.

“For the past year, I have worked. Parliament nominated me through its own independent committee.”

The President on Tuesday honoured several Kenyans in various categories in the awards of order, decorations, and medals in recognition of distinguished and outstanding services rendered to the nation in various capacities and responsibilities.

The awards are made by the president on the advice of a National Honours and Awards Committee.

However, a majority of Kenyans said the awards had lost their meaning when “Githeriman” was awarded by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

One X user named Kiprotich Lang’at said: “Those awards lost meaning and became useless when it [became] a platform and means for recognising looters, the corrupt, cartels, politicians' side chicks, political loyalists and all manner of failures in Kenya.”

Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi added: “I am reading many comments on X about the government awarding thieving governors and other criminals the highest national honours for their exemplary plunder of the national budget.”

“Why should ordinary Kenyans spend time arguing the merits and the demerits of the ruling class conducting their annual initiation ceremony for the latest/new thieves deserving national award for exemplary pillaging of public money?” he asked.

Professor Gitile Naituli argued that the people who deserved the awards were the common wananchi struggling with the spiralling cost of living, and not the leaders.

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