Don't teach me my job, President Uhuru Kenyatta tells critics

President Uhuru Kenyatta is dressed by a Pokot woman, Rebecca Lotin, in Kapenguria after addressing a public rally during his tour of West Pokot County Monday. [PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/ STANDARD]

ELDORET: President Uhuru Kenyatta reportedly said he would not allow inexperienced politicians to dictate to him who to sack or retain in his Cabinet during a closed-door meeting with North Rift leaders in State House, Eldoret.

During the Sunday evening meeting, also attended by his deputy William Ruto, President Kenyatta is understood to have challenged those who were rocking the ruling Jubilee coalition from within to walk out or wait for their turn to lead.

The President’s sentiments were seen as targeting Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, who has defied the Government to press on with the bid to impeach Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.

"I will not tolerate opposing voices from people who have no political experience. I did not consult them when I was employing my Cabinet and they should not tell me who to sack and who not to," a source who attended the meeting quoted the President as saying.

The Head of State is said to have told leaders that those who are not contented with his leadership should give him space and wait for their time to lead and when that time comes he would not meddle in their affairs.

"Let him stop spreading information that will bring disunity among Kenyans. It is not his job to advise me on who to employ and who I have to sack," another source quoted the President.

The President and his deputy addressed more than 500 leaders from the North Rift counties of Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet. Uhuru also explained to the leaders why parties allied to the ruling coalition should united under the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP).

According to a statement from the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit, Uhuru said: "We cannot say we are united when we belong to many parties. That is why we want to form one formidable party – the Jubilee Alliance Party – to consolidate our unity as a country."

The President asked the Opposition to respect the Government and stop peddling insults if they wanted to be respected. Uhuru urged residents to ignore those who preach division every election cycle.

"They expect Jubilee to split but let us prove to them that we will always remain united. William Ruto and I are working together and are focused on what we are doing," the president said.

Sources said none of those in attendance raised the issue of the reinstatement of suspended Cabinet secretaries Felix Koskei and Davis Chirchir who stepped aside following graft allegations.

The meeting, which ended at 8pm, was attended by North Rift governors Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), Patrick Khaemba (Trans Nzoia), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Cleophas Lagat (Nandi).

 FERTILISER PLANT

Also present were MPs Stephen Sang (Nandi), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Isaac Melly (Uasin Gishu), former Cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott and MCAs among others.

Uhuru offered the region several goodies including the construction of the Sh11 billion fertiliser plant in Eldoret, a new referral hospital, a public university and tarmacking of hundreds of kilometres of roads across counties. Yesterday, the President officially opened the Kenya Medical Training Centre, Kapenguria campus, the first medical training college ever to be constructed by a county government.

He also launched the Sh10 billion Muruny Water Project in West Pokot County (See separate story on page 31). Construction of the dam, which is set to be completed in the next two and half years, will benefit more than 240,000 people in West Pokot and Elgeyo/Marakwet counties. Mr Sang said the meeting was fruitful and that the Head of State left the region happy.

"President Kenyatta promised us that he would be back to commission the opening of the first public university in Nandi, and a number of roads that he said would be constructed like the Timboroa-Kupere road and extension of the Mosoriot road to go up to Kipkaren and end at Rivatex in Eldoret town," he said.

Sang said Uhuru announced the waiver of a Sh500 million debt that Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) owes the Government and pledged to offer Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Trans Nzoia counties 150 milk-cooling machines.

 BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY

"We have allocated Sh400 million for the expansion of the KCC factory in Eldoret as a way of boosting productivity among dairy farmers alongside the waiving of the debt to enable smooth running of the factory and prompt payment of farmers," the President said in response to a request by some of the attendants.

Kipkelion West MP Jackson Rop told The Standard that legislators drawn from South and North rift regions did not have a chance to articulate the issues they wanted addressed.

"Though we had some in-house issues, which we wanted to discuss with the President and his deputy, we did not get a chance to articulate them since our colleagues from other regions gate-crashed the dinner," Mr Rop said.

Uhuru said his government has increased allocation of funds to the National Cereals and Produce Board to expand its depots and buy maize from farmers on a continuous basis.