Uhuru CS: I Went to the State House 1 Day and Requested to Be Fired
Kajiado Governor, Joseph Ole Lenku, revealed that he visited State House and asked to step down from his role as Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination.
The Minister clarified that he asked the ex-president to dismiss him because he felt overwhelmed by the workload and pressure associated with his position.
Ole Lenku served as the Cabinet Secretary from 2013 to 2014, during a period marked by a string of terrorist and banditry incidents in the country.
The former CS faced severe backlash from Kenyans, being labeled as inexperienced and incompetent to manage such a crucial document.
Throughout his time in office, Kenya faced the Westgate Attack, during which the Minister gave a speech indicating that terrorists were setting fire to mattresses within the mall.
The speech depicted him unfavorably, but he later utilized this to his advantage during his gubernatorial campaigns.
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Nevertheless, responding to both public outcry and the request from the Cabinet Secretary, the then-president, Uhuru Kenyatta, dismissed him along with the Inspector General at that time, David Kimaiyo.
Ole Lenku, was formerly in the hospitality industry before his previous role in government, which indicates his lack of expertise or specialization in security matters.
He further clarified that he had no intention whatsoever of becoming a CS, and his appointment caught him off guard.
Lenku explained that he had submitted an application for a Permanent Secretary role and had already made it to the shortlist for the position.
“I was called to State House and I was hoping that the President would confirm my appointment as PS. But in an interesting turn of events, I was appointed CS for Interior. I think that drama is in the public (domain),” Lenku had said in a previous interview.
As evidence of how the pressure from his duties affected him, Lenku’s wife, Edna Lenku, spoke out in 2023, revealing that the position had subjected her family to unwanted attention due to relentless media scrutiny.
Uhuru CS: I Went to the State House 1 Day and Requested to Be Fired