Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has clarified the reasons behind reversal of several policies he had implemented during his tenure as Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary.
Speaking during an interview on KTN News, Mutua emphasized that the decisions in question were not made unilaterally but were the result of collective cabinet discussions and agreements.
"The decisions were cabinet decisions, they were not my decisions," Mutua stated, responding to queries about the policy reversals carried out by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
"The Prime Cabinet Secretary reversed them with the cabinet decision. We were working together; this government doesn't just operate on individuals making their own decisions. We work on the collective good of decision-making."
Mutua's remarks come in the wake of Mudavadi's announcement before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations, where he revealed that the government had revised its stance on direct communication between diplomatic missions and various government ministries, state departments, and agencies.
According to Mudavadi, all future correspondence with the government must now be channeled through the Office of the Chief of Protocol, within the State Department of Foreign Affairs.
This policy shift marks a departure from Mutua's approach during his time at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, where foreign missions were allowed to communicate directly with various government entities.
However, Mutua was quick to downplay any notion of discord or failure on his part, instead explaining the fluid nature of government policy.
"There is no policy that you can make that is unpopular that cannot be reversed at any time," Mutua explained.
"We have changed many policies. I worked very well in foreign affairs, and the president told me the other day that it is because of the work we did in foreign affairs—understanding bilateral trade agreements, and labour markets, and the work we did travelling together all over—that I am now in labour because I don't need lessons. I already know from the experience I acquired in foreign affairs. I know what needs to be done."
Mutua also shed light on why President William Ruto reassigned him from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to his current position in the Labour Ministry.
Drawing an analogy to a talented midfielder in football, Mutua described himself as a versatile and capable leader who can excel in any ministry.
