Days numbered for political party officials with State jobs
By Eric Wainaina, November 12, 2020
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has asked political party officials occupying State jobs to resign.
The call by the newly appointed registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu appeared to be targeting Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju, his Kanu counterpart Nick Salat, Orange Democratic Movement disciplinary committee chairman Prof Ben Sihanya and other officials in national and county government.
Nderitu in a circular to Party secretary generals asked them to ensure compliance to the legal requirements that prohibits appointed state and public officers from participating or engaging in activities and affairs of a political party.’
This follows a circular by Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission chief executive Twalib Mbarak, dated October 11, 2020 in which he asked officials in the national and county governments holding party positions to resign.
“This Office is in receipt of a Circular from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on the participation and engagement of state and public officers in political party activities,” reads ORPP circular in which the recipient has annexed Twalib’s circular for action.
The development could affect Tuju who is a Cabinet Secretary without portfolio, Salat who was appointed chairman of the board of the influential Agricultural Development Corporation in August and Sihanya, University of Nairobi lecturer who was recently picked by ODM as its disciplinary committee chairman.
Tuju and Salat have been vocal on political affairs more so the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and the 2022 elections, angering his deputy party leader Deputy President William Ruto and his allies who have accused him of taking a position in favour of ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Also to be affected are other government officers in both levels of government who hold political parties’ posts either at the national or county levels and still draw salaries from public coffers.
Twalib in the letter to Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) , Judiciary, Principal Secretaries, heads of parastatals, Constitutional Commissions & Independent Offices, County Secretaries and clerks of county assemblies, saying some officers in Public Service were getting involved in the promotion or advancement of activities and affairs of political parties.