On February 12, 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta, hot on the campaign trail, assured Jubilee Party aspirants who lost out during the electoral primaries that they would be given government jobs once he secured his final term.
Speaking in Mt Elgon, Bungoma County, he urged the aspirants who would lose out during the nominations to focus their energies on supporting the party's choice in the 2017 polls, and wait for his reward when the time was due.
Fast forward to 2019, Uhuru has kept his end of the bargain by bringing on board almost all of the leaders who heeded to his call.
The Daily Nation reported on Saturday, October 19, that seven of the eight election losers in the Nyeri region who heeded to the President's call have been handed government jobs as promised.
One of the most controversial appointments was that of Mary Wambui, the former Othaya MP who was appointed to head the newly formed National Employment Authority (NEA).
Criticism poured in from many Kenyans who felt that President Kenyatta was not living up to his promise of creating jobs for the youth in the country and was instead recycling old guards.
Most vocal concerning the appointment was the Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, who was the brains behind the National Emploment Authority, where he vowed to fight tooth and nail against Uhuru's decision to give the post to Wambui.
Her appointment had been preceded by the National Assembly's approval of Esther Murugi, the Former Nyeri Town MP, to sit in the National Lands Commission.
In a gazette notice dated October 17, 2019, the president appointed the former Nyeri Senator Mutahi Kagwe as a member of the Energy and Petroleum Authority for a term of three years, and former Mathira MP Peter Weru as the head of the Tana Water Works Development Agency.
Also reported to have been appointed as the former Kirinyaga Senator Daniel Karaba, who has become a member of the board of trustee of the Commodities Fund.
In May, 2019, Uhuru gave a new lease of political life to the former Mukurweini MP Kabando wa Kabando by appointing him to the helm of the Local Authorities Provident Fund.
Daily Nation reported that of the eight leaders, only the former Tetu MP Ndung'u Gethenji has yet to benefit from the President's benevolence.
