President William Ruto reminded his Cabinet members that they bear individual responsibility for all decisions made within their respective ministries and should be cautious not to succumb to influence leading to incorrect decisions.
Speaking at the conclusion of the second National Executive Retreat in Naivasha, the President emphasized that the ultimate accountability rests with Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) and Permanent Secretaries (PSs), irrespective of the origin of bad decisions within their ministries.
The President stated that if anyone faces threats or coercion from individuals claiming to be his associates or family members, they should contact him through his mobile line.
“It doesn’t matter whether somebody called you or somebody threatened you, don’t make the wrong decision. Each and every one of you has my telephone number and it’s only one, I don’t have two. And I believe every Principal Secretary and every Cabinet Secretary has my number,” he said.
Ruto added: “If I want anything from any of you, I will call you myself and I can confirm to you it will not be about any transaction, it will be about your performance.”
Integrity Issues Within Cabinet
The President recognized that integrity issues within ministries frequently arise when Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) and Permanent Secretaries (PSs) are swayed by individuals purporting to be close to power, compelling them to engage in inappropriate actions.
“On occasions, I have called ministers and Principal Secretaries to warn them whenever I have intelligence that wrong things are about to happen in your state departments,” he said.
“We must deal with the subject of integrity. I must repeat that there is no room or space or opportunity for this administration not to deal with corruption firmly, decisively, and conclusively.”
Ruto urged the Cabinet members to seek guidance from him, the Deputy President, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, or the Head of Public Service when they are uncertain about specific decisions.
The President emphasized that Kenyans hold high expectations of the Executive due to his track record, and anything falling short of that would be detrimental to the government.
“We cannot allow integrity issues to derail the plan that we have. And their (Kenyans) high expectations are legitimate because they have a track record of my performance so they judge me by a higher standard than would have ordinarily been the case,” he said.
“And because we work together, you are judged by the same standards; very high standards.”
