They did not see it coming, certainly. The majority of the Cabinet Secretaries had gone about their daily engagements for the better part of yesterday morning, oblivious of what awaited them.

The last minute postponement of a scheduled cabinet meeting, always held on Thursday, did not raise eyebrows.

So because they were diverted to an inaugural National Development Implementation Committee (NDIC) meeting taking place at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi, also attended by senior government officials including Principal Secretaries, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Attorney General Justin Muturi and Solicitor General Shadrack Mose among others.

Those who showed up at the meeting included Treasury CS Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, Adan Duale (Defence), Ababu Namwamba (Sports), Susan Nakhumicha (Health), Florence Bore (Labour), Zacharia Njeru (Water) and Simon Chelugui (Cooperatives).

As fate would have it, the meeting was chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and his message was tellingly frank and candid. In his address, Mudavadi squarely blamed top government officials for the Gen Z protests witnessed in the country over the last three weeks.

Mudavadi, in a candid admission, conceded that top government officials had fuelled the protests by openly displaying their opulence and engaging in corruption and waste at the expense of service delivery.

“We gave them the ammunition to fight back by showing off our opulence, corruption and wasteful use of public resources. Essentially, they are pointing out how insensitive we are to the impact of our decisions on the wellbeing of our people in the face of difficulties arising from domestic and external shocks,” he said.

From the meeting, Prof Ndung’u drove to Parliament Buildings where he appeared before the Senate committee for Labour Relations where he responded to queries from senators over matters to do with pension.

Security meeting

Immediate former Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki was engaged in the normal office security meetings shuttling between the Harambee House and State House for the better part of the day before being fired.

“We have been having normal office security meetings in the office and some at State House. We did not have any engagement outside the normal office work today (yesterday),” said Interior Ministry Director Communications Francis Gachuri.

Prior to his sacking Information, Communication Technology and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo had in the morning launched the Kenya Year Editorial Board’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

After attending the NDCI meeting in the morning, Namwamba further held a meeting with Harambee Stars Head Coach Engin Firat at Talanta Offices.

“Great football chat with Harambee Stars coach, Engin Firat who visited us at our Talanta Plaza offices. From a dead football ecosystem reeling under FIFA suspension we inherited 20 months ago, football is back. Junior Starlets are headed to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Dominican Republic. Emerging Stars are gelling. Harambee Stars is growing. AFCON’27 is coming to Kenya. Right trajectory,” said Namwamba in his X account.

Prior to being shown the door, Cooperative CS Simon Chelugui had also taken to his X account saying that the goal of his Ministry is to see the Coffee a key foreign exchange earner.

“Our goal is to see the Coffee Sub-Sector, a key foreign exchange earner, thriving and contributing to the growth of the economy and financial stability of the over 800,000 farmers who grow the plant and more than 20 million Kenyans who depend on it indirectly for a livelihood,” said Chelugui.

Native home

Former Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome was on her part in her native Murang’a county, going about her ministerial duties, oblivious of what awaited her.

Speaking during the launch of the National Land Management System dubbed Ardhi Sasa, Wahome ordered foreigners holding freehold title deeds to surrender them to the government claiming they are illegally acquired.

Duale had tweeted about the meeting he had attended, chaired by Mudavadi.

 “The meeting focused on a wide range of national and international issues, underscoring the government’s dedication to tackling developmental challenges and advancing Kenya’s strategic interests. Regular updates to the public on project and policy progress were highlighted to keep citizens informed and engaged,” said Duale on his X account.

Duale had sparked an online exchange after declaring that he had no advisors.

Reacting to a circular released by the Public Service head Felix Koskei that advisors assigned to CSs be reduced from two to one by yesterday, Duale retorted that he did not have a single advisor.  The former CS maintained that his ministry does not have advisors and that all officials possess requisite training to provide strategic advice to his office.

 “I have no advisors to submit as the men and women at the helm of Defense headquarters leadership have the required training, knowledge and experience to give me strategic advice and guidance to steer the Ministry,” he said.

Trade CS Rebecca Miano was also caught flat footed. The CS was going about her business at her office on the 17th floor of the NSSF building when Ruto unleashed the bombshell.

Ministerial duties

A few meters away, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen was also going about his ministerial duties when the news came that he had been fired alongside his other cabinet colleagues, save for Musalia and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Outspoken Public Service CS Moses Kuria could have seen it coming.

The CS was in his office when president Ruto announced the bombshell. “He packed his things and left immediately the president started reading his speech,” said a close aide who was present but did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals.

Kuria had been in his element on Wednesday, bragging how he had been assigned the role of streamlining the coffee sector, allegedly due to DP Gachagua’s incompetence.”

 While addressing mourners during the burial of his aunt Mary Njeri at Kairi village in Gatundu North, Kiambu county, Kuria revealed that Ruto had assigned him the role of spearheading reforms in the coffee sub-sector.

“Some people were given the coffee sector to man but the role overwhelmed them. I went to the President and asked him to give me the job to streamline the coffee sector. I got the job and I can assure you that I will streamline the sector,” he said.

Kuria had also mocked former Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina alias Jungle, who challenged him for the Kiambu gubernatorial seat during the last general election. “In this village, you gave me between 70 and 80 votes, and I’m still alive. You threw me in a mire, but God rescued me. People from this village decided to vote for Patrick wainaina alias Jungle but who is God?  Today, Jungle is still crushing macadamia nuts as I fly a flag because God is who he is,” Kuria boasted.