Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO Ezekiel Mutua, on Wednesday, January 15, could not hide his joy after President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Mutahi Kagwe as the Health Cabinet Secretary, a man he considers his hero.
Taking to his Facebook page, Mutua recounted a time in his life when he was faced with several tribulations including financial woes as well as a fiery media storm, which he believed, was started by a governmental retaliation to his criticism as the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) head.
"Despite the fact that my work was diametrically opposed to the Government, Hon. Kagwe treated me like a friend and he's the reason I am in government today.
"Today I celebrate the appointment of Hon. Mutahi Kagwe as the nominee Cabinet Secretary for Health as if I am the one who was appointed. Hon. Kagwe is the reason I believe in good people," he stated.
He went on to narrate that after he repeatedly criticised the government, which was then headed by former President Mwai Kibaki at the time, the state went after him and also managed to turn the media against him.
He was the head of Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) at the time and explained that he spearheaded the organisation's members into breaking the Anglo Leasing scandal - arguably, the biggest scandals to hit Kibaki's government.
"I thought I was doing a good thing for my country by coordinating the media to expose such cases as Anglo Leasing that touched on powerful people.
"Some ministers in the Kibaki Administration were arrogant and intolerant and there was a scheme to curtail press freedom, even to close some media houses," he continued.
"Then hell broke loose. During the 2005 Journalists of the Year Awards, I was set up. Allegations of doctoring the list of winners were mooted and very senior people choreographed my arrest even though KUJ was not a government entity," he added
He lost the reins of the union shortly after and got slapped by numerous lawsuits that he narrates drained him both emotionally and financially, but Kagwe and a number of waitresses at a Nairobi hotel had pity on him.
"The court cases took a toll on my finances and at some point, I could barely make ends meet. I once represented myself before Justice Ibrahim after my lawyer pulled out of the case because I couldn't pay him.
"The waiters at Grand Regency, now Laico Regency, were like angels to me. They would serve me a pot of tea and allow me to take it slowly, occasionally "warming" it for me and allowing me to pay for only one pot, although in essence, I would sometimes take three to five pots," he further narrated.
One day, as he was sipping tea at the hotel, he received a call from Kagwe, who was the then Minister of Information, offering him a job. He claimed that the minister wanted the president to appoint him immediately but he (mutua) turned down the offer urging the state to advertise for the post so that he could earn it.
"The Minister treated me like a VIP, even serving me tea and chatting me about my family and my work. Then he broke the news. The then Director of Information Mr George Opiyo was retiring and the government needed a strong and vibrant person to Head the Department of Information.
"The matter had been discussed at the Cabinet and my name came up, he said. Initially, he wanted to have my appointment directly by the President on a two-year contract, but I pleaded that the ministry advertises the post and let me compete to give credibility to the process now that I would be doing a 360 degrees turn from being a trade unionist to a senior government official," Mutua clarified.
He was eventually chosen for the position and views Kagwe's latest appointment as God's plan to repay him for being good to Mutua.
Kagwe has been appointed to replace Sicily Kariuki as the Health Ministry Cabinet Secretary subject to parliamentary vetting.
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