I was not surprised that in the changes he made on Wednesday, President William Ruto retained Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen as the Cabinet Secretary for the ultra-sensitive Interior docket, otherwise better known as Internal Security.

So because, as I said last week, the President values his friends a lot, he is very protective and accommodative of them, whatever the circumstances. Sometimes at the expense of service delivery. As in Murkomen’s case.

Murkomen is not at all the subject of my commentary this weekend. However, it is important to mention that the minister called me last Saturday afternoon to shout at me.

Murkomen was unhappy with my questioning his lackadaisical presence in Ruto’s Cabinet.

Livid, ranting, explosive and bossy, Murkomen hit the roof. He didn’t address any of the issues I raised.

Instead, he described my article as a personalised hatchet job.

He noisily told me that after a thorough briefing, he had credible evidence that my commentary had been sponsored by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

The former Elgeyo Marakwet senator claimed that Mudavadi was fighting him because he wanted the Interior ministry docket handed to him, and that the former vice-president was using me to get Murkomen out of Harambee House.

He stated that he was going to “confront” Mudavadi next time they meet for the former deputy prime minister to explain to him why he was fighting him and why he wants his job.

I do not know whether by now the two have since met and Murkomen has confronted his “friend”.

But all I can say is that young Murkomen is a young man full of himself. He is a big-time investor in gold, glamour and garrulity.

Power is his friend. He evinces an undeserved sense of self-confidence. One wishes that the young man at Harambee House was full of service delivery. Not full of himself.

President Daniel arap Moi once told us: “Ukitaka kujua tofauti ya mayai mbaya na yale mazuri, weka yote kwa maji. Ile mbaya itajitokeza juu ya maji (if you want to differentiate between good and bad eggs, put all of them in water. The bad ones will come floating above the water).

In our circumstances, Murkomen would be the first one to come floating above the water if such a test were to be conducted on service delivery.

Anyway, he is a friend of the President. If anything else.

In the changes made on Wednesday, President Ruto moved former Garissa Town MP Aden Barre Duale from the position of Environment Cabinet Secretary to that of Health. That being his third work station in the Cabinet after being moved from Defence in July last year.

So much has been said about Duale. Most of it is not positive. I take a different route.

Unlike garrulous Murkomen, querulous Duale works.

Not long ago, I stated in this column that since making his political debut over 15 years ago, Duale has stamped his presence on the national stage.

I argued that depending on circumstances, Duale’s presence is punctuated by noise, sycophancy, industry, mischief, humour and religion. All wrapped into one.

On any day, he can afford effortlessly to be brusque, arrogant, abrasive, impolite, boisterous, noisy and stubborn as they come. Yes, a Don Quixote of sorts.

Those not notwithstanding, Duale is a performer. He dedicates his mind and time to the task ahead of him. He does not shy away from challenges.

So much has been said since his Wednesday redeployment from Environment to Health, with some backward ethnic epithets being hurled in the direction of his background.

Through whatever prism one wants to view Duale, he has steadily worked his way to the national scale. He has earned it.
He goes down in history as the first majority leader in the National Assembly after the adoption of the 2010 Constitution.

He assumed the position after the 2013 General Election and delivered to his best with noticeable success. He has thus deservedly earned his space on the Kenyan political stage.

Duale served for slightly over a year as Cabinet Secretary for Defence before being shifted to the Environment portfolio.

No explanations are given whenever ministers are transferred or dismissed. Word had it that senior military cadres at Ulinzi House were not comfortable with his way of going about official engagements. No one knows whether that is true.

Duale leaves the Environment ministry without achieving much. But he had settled and was steering the wheel there effortlessly.

As I stated previously, Duale is one of the few senior government officials who freely communicate to the public without hesitation or nudging, working as he does in a government that has serious communication hitches.

I will never know why successive Presidents of the Republic of Kenya have snubbed Seme MP Dr James Nyikal for the position of Health minister.

Over the years, Nyikal has demonstrated his devotion to his profession as a medical doctor.

He previously served as director of medical services, as well as what was then called permanent secretary for Health, with absolute dedication.

He was recently elected chairperson of the National Assembly’s Health Committee. A drop of rain in the ocean, in my view. Not many Kenyans would have an issue if Nyikal was appointed Health Cabinet Secretary.

That is not to denigrate Duale in any way. The reality is that Duale is the new minister for Health. I have no problem with him. He has the ability, capacity and capability. He fits the bill. One hopes that he will not disappoint.

The author is a Revise Editor with People Daily