President William Ruto, on Friday, January 6, turned away three principal secretaries from the Cabinet meeting held at the Mount Kenya Safari Club after checking in late.
Reports intimated that the three came in after the president's entrance and that the meeting had been on since 7:00 am.
Further, the President urged his Cabinet to ensure prudence in using public resources by avoiding spending money on activities of less value to the citizens.
He also reportedly reprimanded Cabinet Secretaries, who tagged along their assistants and support staff to the meeting and ordered them to pay for their expenses.
“Why do you have to be accompanied by your PAs and other staff in this meeting?" he inquired, as detailed by the Standard.
While addressing the meeting, the tough-talking President made clear his intentions to wipe out laxity in his government - warning that he expected a departure from the previous government’s style of ruling.
In particular, Ruto ordered Cabinet Secretaries to attend to files on their desks daily to avoid backlogs that have, over time, become the face of government offices.
"Do not hold the government at ransom. When files are sent to your desk, clear them. Each one of us must clear our desks once a day," he directed.
Additionally, the Head of State reiterated that his administration should reflect the spirit of "bottom-up" in service delivery by eliminating bureaucracy at all government offices.
Ruto further urged the Cabinet to be loyal to the Oath of Office they took and the promises made to the electorate during the campaigns.
"The interests of the people of Kenya come first. The people without ties, some without shoes, some cannot be allowed beyond the watchman, they cannot afford to hire a lawyer, those are our bosses. They are our employers, we are their servants and we are their advocates," the President reiterated.
The president's stance was also advanced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who cautioned his colleagues against betraying their cause and promises.
Mudavadi also warned against the demerits of self-interest while serving in government - arguing that the attitude would culminate in the embezzlement of public resources.
“We must deliver without fail or delay. This is the only way history shall judge if the Kenya Kwanza leadership was worth forming government or else, we will be mocked by Kenyans as having acted as traitors in a course," he stated.
The three-day Cabinet retreat centred on strategizing the way forward in Kenya Kwanza's quest to deliver its manifesto to the electorate.
Ruto led Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and other senior government officials in brainstorming the course of action ahead of a busy year.
