Uhuru warns public office holders against tribal appointments

• Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned public office holders against tribal appointments.

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned public office holders against tribal appointments.

Speaking when he handed over Jubilee Party leadership to Fred Matiang’i on Tuesday, Uhuru praised Matiang’i for his performance in previous cabinets.

“Ati kama wewe ni Waziri ama wewe ni PS na umepewa kazi uandike watu wa kabila yako. Sasa hiyo ni kusema nini? Umewekwa Waziri kwa sababu ya kabila?” said Uhuru.

The former President’s statement follows pronouncements by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, where he urged public office holders from Western Kenya region to consider their kin in appointments.

“Ukipatiwa nafasi kubwa kama ni PS, ama wewe ni waziri, kama wewe ni ambassador, kama wewe ni chairman ya parastatal, na wewe unatoka mkoa wa magharibi, wewe jua nafasi hiyo ni ya jamii. Umepewa utumie kuhakikisha maswala na maslahi ya wananchi hawa,” said Barasa in an undated video.

The MP urged appointing authorities not to consider people from Kikuyu community in appointments.

“Hata ukiwa kwa ofisi na unafanya interview, na unakuta mtu ametoka huko nyeri, anaitwa Kamau, na amekuja mbele yako, na ako na suti mzuri kabisa anaongea kizungu kubwa, wewe kama mwenye kusimamia interview na unatoka mkoa wa magharibi unaandika summary unasema,” said Barasa, urging public officials to come up with flimsy reasons for denial of appointments.

Barasa added that failure to favour people from the said communities has left them backwards in development.