Weeks after they were sworn into office, some of the Cabinet Secretaries in President William Ruto's government appear to have started their tenure on the wrong footing.
Already, several CSs have been called out for making declarations that tend to deviate from Kenyans' expectations, while others have been questioned for their capabilities to lead the dockets.
In other cases, the ministers have been forced to issue statements clarifying what appeared to be roadside declarations.
Their controversial remarks drew mixed reactions from Kenyans, even as the opposition side led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga intensifies its oversight role.
Kenyans.co.ke examines some of the controversial speeches:
Education Cabinet Secretary
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu came under sharp criticism after hinting that the government was planning to cut funding for universities.
Speaking on Friday, November 4, Machogu asked universities to find alternative means of raising money to fund some of their programmes.
"You get them complaining about underfunding, and we are encouraging that they must generate their own revenue because the exchequer as it is now, is not going to be able to continue funding more because, in Kenya, education takes 25.9 per cent," Machogu stated.
"So we have to find other ways of creating and generating revenue for universities. They have to look for other revenue generation streams," he added.
His sentiments attracted a lot of backlash, with most Kenyans arguing that the move would affect the university transition.
Stephen Mutoro, a consumer protection expert, noted that the directive would water down progress made in raising transition in the country.
"Government can only reduce funding public universities. It can't stop funding. The very reason University Funding Board exists. A country that funds political parties and not higher education will be headed the wrong way," Mutoro stated.
Health CS on Interns Pay
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha was corrected by doctors and other medical practitioners after claiming that interns earn more than qualified medics.
During her maiden Citizen TV as Health CS on Wednesday, November 2, Nakhumicha stated that some interns were earning Ksh200,000 monthly, with doctors earning less than Ksh120,000.
“In one of my looking around within the ministry, I found that Kenya is a country where interns earn more than actual doctors when they are deployed,” she stated.
“For example, a medical intern earns close to Ksh200,000 while a new doctor while reporting in a public hospital earns Ksh104,000. These inconsistencies in there are issues to be addressed,” she added.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) dismissed her claims stating that interns much lower than what she had stated.
"The remuneration that was stated is not factual. Interns are the lowest, they are under the lowest job group (L). This is per a CBA in 2017," KMPDU stated.
Moses Kuria's on Mitumba
Industry, Trade and Investment CS Moses Kuria was forced to clarify his statement on banning mitumba (second-hand clothes) in the country.
Kuria argued that his sentiments were taken out of context after Kenyans called him out on social media, with others raising concerns that the directive would render thousands jobless.
However, Kuria refuted the claims insisting that Ruto's government was keen on empowering businesses in the country.
"I want to see a Kenya whereby every Kenyan can afford decent new clothes," remarked Kuria.
"Nobody wears mitumba out of their will, they wear it because they don't have enough disposable income, because they don’t have alternatives and because they don’t have jobs," he added.
Gachagua's Shamba system statements
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also came under harsh criticism from conservationists after hinting at the re-introduction of the shamba system in the country.
Gachagua was forced to clarify his statement after climate activists castigated him arguing that the directive would affect Kenya's forest cover and even escalate the human-wildlife conflict.
"When I was in Baringo, I did announce to the people of Kenya that we have a serious programme on afforestation. There is a lot of land within the forest reserve that has been earmarked for tree-planting and we are going to mobilise farmers to assist us to plant trees in those areas that have no trees and take care of them as they farm until the trees are of age and then the forest can continue growing.
"When you twist it that we have said we are going to bring the farmers to come and farm in the forest, that is in bad taste," he explained on September 28.
Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge also corrected Gachagua after insinuating that state capture had crippled its operations, especially in controlling Foreign Exchange Reserves in the country.
