Government Disarray: Kenya Kwanza Faces Scrutiny Amid Conflicting Communications and Power Struggles
President William Ruto’s administration is facing increasing scrutiny due to a series of inconsistent statements from the government and heightened competition for power and control among high-ranking officials.
This scrutiny arises from recent troubling communications from the Kenya Kwanza government about the second-term school opening and the response to ongoing severe floods.
These issues have raised questions about the government’s commitment to a unified approach since last August, indicating a potential return to the disorganized ‘Tower of Babel’ environment seen earlier in the administration.
The current situation is unfolding as Kenyans face challenges from floods, economic hardships, and a doctors’ strike.
On Friday, the Ministry of Education issued a circular with guidelines for parents, educators, and institutions regarding the scheduled reopening of schools on Monday, May 6, 2024.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu’s circular stated that parents and school management were to ensure students’ safety when schools reopened for the second term.
The CS had delayed the second-term opening by a week due to security concerns from heavy rains and flooding in many parts of the country.
Initially, schools were set to reopen on April 29, but this date was postponed to May 6 and then delayed further due to ongoing floods that have claimed at least 228 lives.
Mr. Machogu noted that measures were in place to protect students and staff in educational institutions.
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He instructed field education officers in areas with schools hosting displaced persons to collaborate with local government officials to find alternative accommodations and ensure schools were ready for normal activities.
Regional Directors of Education were also tasked with providing continuous updates on the status of learning institutions and capturing data on students not in school.
However, just hours later, President Ruto, in his State of the nation address, countermanded the ministry’s communication by directing an indefinite postponement of school reopening.
“The Ministry of Education is directed to postpone the reopening of all schools for the second term until further notice,” President Ruto stated.
Interestingly, the President had chaired a Cabinet meeting the day before the circular’s release, endorsing the reopening of schools on May 6.
More confusion arose earlier in the week when CS Machogu announced a midnight postponement of the school reopening for a week, catching many parents off guard since some had already sent their children to school.
This announcement came just days after Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang confirmed that the second term would resume as planned.
The PS had instructed school administrators not to send students home who had already arrived before the circular.
Conflict over authority
Another point of confusion occurred on Sunday when both the Ministry of Interior and the Government Spokesperson’s Office released similar statements regarding the ongoing flood situation.
The ministry led by Prof Kithure Kindiki was the first to issue a statement detailing the number of fatalities, injuries, missing persons, and those affected in the past 24 hours, as well as government interventions such as search and rescue efforts.
Less than an hour later, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura repeated similar statistics in a speech at Nyayo House, echoing the Interior Ministry’s earlier statement.
Additionally, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s recent announcement about a team investigating air crashes in Kenya over the past three years led to further ambiguity.
The gazette notice caused uncertainty about whether the team would investigate the helicopter crash that killed General Francis Ogolla and nine other military officers.
The confusion forced the CS to clarify that his ministry is only responsible for investigating crashes involving civilian aircraft, not military incidents.
Infighting and insubordination
The Kenya Kwanza government has recently seen several unsettling statements from top officials, revealing internal conflict and insubordination.
CSs and PSs have been caught in power struggles, issuing contradictory statements and encroaching on each other’s responsibilities.
In November 2022, CS Moses Kuria, then heading Trade, announced the government’s decision to allow duty-free importation of 10 million bags of GMO maize over the next six months to address a food crisis.
Days later, Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi distanced his ministry from this planned importation, asserting his sole authority in making such announcements.
In May 2023, Kuria called for military intervention in Sudan to end the ongoing conflict, prompting Foreign Affairs PS Dr. Korir Sing’oei to clarify that Kuria’s tweet did not represent Kenya’s official stance.
Months earlier, CS Kuria sparked controversy by advocating for the closure of China Square mall amid a dispute with local traders.
Once again, PS Sing’oei had to defuse tensions with the Chinese government, stating that no lawful investor, regardless of nationality, should fear discrimination.
Government Disarray: Kenya Kwanza Faces Scrutiny Amid Conflicting Communications and Power Struggles