Former Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu on Wednesday amused Members of Parliament after it emerged that he became a doctor despite getting an E grade in Chemistry.
Mr Mailu, who was appearing before the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, explained that in his days, the value of an E was not as it is in the current Secondary grading system.
"I think you are looking at grade E from the present context of grading. That is not how it was in 1973. All said I need to inform you that I passed and was accepted to study medicine. We were only three of us in a class of over 30 candidates who made it to university," responded Mailu after he was asked how he got to pursue a Medical Degree with that grade.
[caption caption="File image of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Former Health CS Cleopa Mailu"]
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Mailu was among four of Kenyatta's first Cabinet members replaced and sent to head diplomatic missions who were appearing before the committee on Wednesday for vetting.
The former Cabinet Secretaries' performance in their previous ministries returned to haunt them.
Mailu, who was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to head to Geneva as the country's Permanent Representative in the United Nations, was tasked with exonerating himself after MPs blamed him of lack of diplomatic capabilities following the longest industrial action by doctors and nurses.
“There were complaints from doctors' and nurses' unions that you did not give dialogue attention; that you would walk out on them in meetings, and this could be the reason you have the dubious distinction of holding the docket when the country faced the longest strike by the medics,” commented Belgut MP Nelson Koech.
The doctor, however, mentioned: "We were also dealing with union officials who wanted to take advantage of the situation to fleece the Government. We just could not meet what the health workers were asking for. But that also got us to come up with legislation that will help this country. In future, we will never witness such strikes."
Former Environment CS Judy Wakhungu, who was accused of not leaving any meaningful imprints in her docket, defended herself stating that she was among the top performers, increasing the forest cover from 6.9 percent to 7.4 percent.
Former East African Community CS Phyllis Kandie was on her turn blamed for sliding the sector to its deathbed before Najib Balala turned around its fortunes.
[caption caption="File image of Former Environment CS Judy Wakhungu"]
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