The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, Ali Hassan Joho, has clarified remarks made by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who alleged that cabinet secretaries are being given speeches by Dennis Itumbi.
Speaking during an interview at Radio 47 on Thursday, April 10, Joho dismissed the claims, saying he has never been helped to run his ministry, but instead, he has been doing it independently.
"I’ve never had someone tell me what to say. Let me speak for myself; who would even write things for me? Am I not a cabinet secretary? I have been given the job, so I will do it. Who else should I go looking for? I am the head of the ministry; I have principal secretaries and staff. We work together as a team,” he said.
Joho emphasised that he only consults with President William Ruto when necessary and has never received instructions that go against the mandate of his ministry.
“So I have never had to ask anyone else for instructions, except sometimes the president. Sometimes, the deputy president and other government officials consult with my team at the ministry. No one else has come to tell me what to do that goes against the rules,” he added.
He made it clear that at no point has anyone written speeches for him or directed his work beyond the formal government process.
“When we have Cabinet meetings, I talk to my fellow Cabinet members. I send in my agenda for the ministry, then it’s shared, and others give their thoughts and ideas on it. So for someone to tell me what to do as if I am a junior CS is not right," he added.
Joho’s comments come amid Gachugua's speech on April 7, at KTN, where he stated that Farouk Kibet and Dennis Itumbi control the government.
Gachagua targeted Dennis Itumbi by branding him the president’s chief propagandist, claiming that Itumbi plays a major role in influencing presidential messaging and decision-making.
“Dennis Itumbi is not a small man. This government is being run by Itumbi and Kibet. Itumbi drafts the statements issued by ministers, including those involving violence."
"If the president dislikes the direction of a discussion, Itumbi has the authority to walk into his office and shut the meeting down,” Gachagua said.
He reiterated that he has consistently spoken out against questionable practices within the administration.
