Ruto's chief of staff speaks against opulence as induction for newly sworn-in CSs begins

A two-day induction workshop for Cabinet Secretaries kicked off on Monday with a breakfast meeting at State House, Nairobi, followed by closed-door sessions at the International Peace Support Training College in Karen.

At the induction, Head of Public Service and Chief of Staff Felix Koskei stated that the cabinet was changing its strategy, presentation, and engagement with the citizens to foster service delivery, turning away unnecessary show-offs.

"We want to see total change; instead of them becoming bosses, we want them to become servants of the people, and that is what we are trying to ensure and start from the beginning. So really, the issues of opulence and a lot of largesse are something we have agreed belong to the past, and the focus now is service delivery to the people," Koskei said in a brief media interview at the venue.

He added that he expects the CSs and principal secretaries to work as a team and progress with the achievements scored by their predecessors seamlessly and as quickly as possible.

"We want to ensure there is no wastage of public resources and that each and every cabinet member becomes a champion in fighting corruption in their respective ministries and PSs in their respective state departments. We want to see that the conscious and deliberate war against corruption and the implementation of projects across the country is done in a manner that is efficient and in a manner that eliminates any wastage whatsoever," he explained.

The induction under the theme "A new paradigm beckons," organised by the National Defence University in collaboration with the Executive Office of the President, further seeks to build the capacity of the cabinet that was sworn in last week to understand the systems of government operations and their mandate in the wake of a youth-led uprising that forced the ouster of the previous cabinet.

20 new CSs were sworn into office on Thursday last week, with the National Assembly Committee on Appointments vetting two other nominees, the EAC CS and the Attorney General, on Friday.

Koskei added that he expects the CSs and principal secretaries to work as a team and progress with the achievements scored by their predecessors seamlessly and as quickly as possible.

Cabinet Secretaries attend the two-day induction workshop at State House, Nairobi, on Monday, August 12, 2024. (Photo: PCS)

"We want to ensure there is no wastage of public resources and that each and every cabinet member becomes a champion in fighting corruption in their respective ministries and PSs in their respective state departments. We want to see that the conscious and deliberate war against corruption and the implementation of projects across the country is done in a manner that is efficient and in a manner that eliminates any wastage whatsoever," he explained.

The venue of the training, a military facility, was, according to Koskei, informed by the need to have the induction hosted close to the capital where there are minimal disruptions.

It is also notable that one of the organisers, the National Defence University, offers training and capacity building in the practical realities of the country's national security concerns for strategic thinking and direction.

As the lead government agents in their respective ministries, the ministers will be expected to protect the interests of the country and have a proper understanding of statecraft.

Consequently, some of the areas the induction is set to touch on will include the national security infrastructure, a session that will be moderated by Dr. Monica Juma, the national security advisor and secretary of the National Security Council.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua will deliver the closing remarks at the end of the induction on Tuesday.