The government has placed all 108 staff members in the office of impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on compulsory leave, effective Saturday, October 18.
A letter from Principal Administrative Secretary Patrick Mwangi instructed all department heads to assign a responsible officer to oversee operations immediately. Mwangi emphasized that the directives must be documented in writing and sent to his office as well as to Chief of Staff Henry Koskei.
"All department heads must comply with these instructions by 12:00 pm on October 19, 2024," part of the letter stated.
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The document also listed the names, staff numbers, job titles, and grades of all 108 employees affected. Notable names include Njeri Rugene, a Communication Strategist with the Deputy Presidential Communication Service (DPCS), and Rose Wangari Gakuo, Secretary at State Functions.
The list has sparked mixed reactions, with critics questioning the redundancy of some roles in the DP's office, such as 10 Deputy Directors of Communications and 4 Assistant Directors, despite the government's push for austerity measures.
This decision follows Gachagua's controversial impeachment by the Senate on Thursday. The next day, President William Ruto submitted Interior CS Kithure Kindiki's nomination to the National Assembly, which was swiftly approved. However, a court order has temporarily halted the impeachment, preventing Kindiki from assuming office.
