Opposition leader Raila Odinga Vows to Fire State Officers in the Jubilee Government

Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday declared that the National Super Alliance (NASA) will fire all State officers campaigning for President Uhuru Kenyatta after the August polls.

Raila claimed it was unconstitutional for Cabinet secretaries, Principal secretaries and other State officers to engage in politics.

"Uhuru must prepare to leave office with his political civil servants. We will not allow them to serve in NASA government.

"When State House says it is normal for State officers to campaign then something is wrong," said Raila.

The former Prime Minister was speaking at the Bomas of Kenya where he gave nomination certificates to about 850 ODM Party candidates who were cleared by the National Election Board (NEB) to run for gubernatorial, MP and MCAmbly seats as unopposed aspirants.

During his two-day tour in Kisii, President Kenyatta was accompanied by Education CS Fred Matiangi who went ahead to campaign for the Jubilee Government.

In February during the mass voter registration by the IEBC, Lands PS Nicholas Muraguri went to Nyeri County to mobilise Jubilee supporters to register as voters.

A few Cabinet Secretaries including Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution), Charles Keter (Energy) and Eugene Wamalwa (Water) have also been on campaign trails with President Kenyatta.

The Elections Act provides that a public officer should not be involved in activities of a political party or any candidate.

"A public officer who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding Sh1 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both," states the Act.

State House however defended the officers highlighting that they were supporting Uhuru because "they are accountable to the President who appointed them and whose vision of service they have to operationalise".