Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has revealed what he thinks of the ‘Deep State’, a network of powerful individuals who run the government behind closed doors.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Day Break, Governor Mutua said he witnessed such a network when he served as government spokesman during the reign of former President Mwai Kibaki.
According to Mutua, the Deep State was known as the Kitchen cabinet at the time.
“When I served under Mwai Kibaki – I’m writing this in my book – I was in a privileged position to see how governments run, I used to see the frustrations of Ambassador Muthaura,” Governor Mutua said.
“At that time, we did not talk about the deep state, we talked about the kitchen cabinet, apparently there was a kitchen cabinet… basically made up of government officials who ran the show.”
Mutua went on to add: “It is when you have these informal structures that you have a problem, the reason Kibaki and Muthaura succeeded is because they did not let any other view into the government, it was basically a government led from the front.”
On the existence of a deep state in the current govt, Mutua said there are powerful individuals who can influence national events.
“I agree with Governor Kimemia that within government there are people and institutions with instruments of power who can influence, they can influence results, they can control events.. that has been there for a long time,” Mutua said.
Mutua however wondered whether President Kenyatta, like his predecessor, was leading from the front.
“Has Uhuru been leading from the front? Has he really told his people that he wants this done, and this done? If not, you get all these people who come and make themselves the deep state,” Mutua explained.
