In Summary
- Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio said that Magoha’s sentiments were unacceptable.
- Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina said Education CS George Magoha should be reprimanded as the Public Officer Ethics Act binds him
- Nominated Senator Getrude Musuruve has termed Magoha’s utterances as demeaning the teaching profession
- ELP party leader Steve Nderi noted that with Human Resource powers stripped off from the CS, there is no important role that he has in the ministry.
The miseries facing embattled Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha deepened yesterday after Senators asked the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission to take step against him in line with the Public Officer Ethics Act.
The move was embraced by ELP party leader Steve Nderi. “It is a step in the right direction for Senators or any individual to want Magoha to resign, we must start practising the integrity of public officers. The best way of practising is by demanding the best conduct of our state officers.” Steve Nderi, Party Leader(ELP)
Lawmakers are demanding that President Uhuru Kenyatta take action, including but not limited to suspending and sacking Magoha, for publicly abusing a fomer teacher and a senior education official in Uasin Gishu County.
Their calls come days after the Public Service Commission stripped the CS of powers to manage human resource roles at his ministry, a move, he said will not stop him from fulfilling his duties. The development also comes days after Magoha was criticised and accused of being arrogant following a video clip of him scolding and yelling insults at an education official in Uasin Gishu.
In the video, the Cabinet Secretary, who was on a visit to various schools on November 6th, to evaluate learning and delivery of desks, is captured questioning Uasin Gishu Director of Education Mr Gitonga Mbaka, concerning alleged untidiness of Langas Primary school.
The CS, apparently dispeased by the answer of the official, hurled insults at Mr Mbaka, and is videotaped saying in Kiswahili, and I quote, “Nikisema wewe ni mjinga, ni uwongo?” taken to loosely mean (If I said you are foolish would I be lying?),’ Magoha stated, before ordering the senior staff to march away from the assemblage. Led by Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio, Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina his Nominated counterparts Naomi Shiyonga.
Steve Nderi, Party Leader said that the CS was carrying out duties bestowed to him by Kenyans and therefore must respect them. “We must understand that state officers are not doing us a favour by serving in those offices, they must understand that they are being paid by Kenyans so they must also respect them.” Steve Nderi noted.
Getrude Musuruve and Abshiro Halake said such kind of treatment by the CS, or any leaders is critical, and should be rebuked in the strongest way possible. The CS should be the last person to set a bad example to the public, including to millions of children in our education sector where he has been given the privilege to lead,” Shiyonga noted.
“If indeed the CS had issues to raise with the concerned official, there are channels and procedures that he ought to follow in-stead of insulting his juniors,” she added. Concerned official On his part, Senator Poghisio opined that Magoha’s attitudes were unacceptable and violation of the African culture.
“It is not good to shout at someone whose children and family are around. It de-means them,” Poghisio said. Though Magoha has registered remarkable performance in institutions he has worked, including successfully running a university, the examination council, Poghisio held that the CS must apologise to teachers and entire country,.
“We demand that he apologises to teachers and the country. I also get angered, but I cannot disrespect people who have also been allowed to work by the same Government,” Poghisio, the West Pokot Senator said.
Ole Kina also noted the CS should be reproached as the Public Offi-cer Ethics Act binds him. “wish to remind him that the Act, which he subscribes to and signed to abide by, prohibits that kind of unprofessionalism. It is about time pub-lic officers, including us, realised that we serve those offices by the will of God and privilege,”
“We do not come to Parliament to pass legislation for certain individuals to cherry pick what to respect and what not to re-spect.
These laws are important and man-datory for all of us,” he continued. Public Officer Ethics Act states that a public officer shall carry out his conduct in a way that maintains public confidence in the integrity of his office.
“The way he has been handling the whole issue of going back to school, giving contradicting information its something that has not been inspiring hopes to very many Kenyans and therefore it is the right move towards Magoha to resign and to set the standards high for public.” Steve Nderi said.
Halake has on the her side criticised Ed-ucation CS for running around the country, going to every school, to abuse junior of-ficers because he considers himself more powerful. “Why would a sitting CS go and start running in classrooms. I have seen the CS do that in very many little corners of this country.
That is a recipe for conflict,” Musuruve has termed Magoha’s utter-ances as demeaning the teaching profes-sion saying that he should apologise to the teachers’ fraternity. According to her, if he does not apolo-gize, then he will set bad precedence where a CS or any other State official can decide to Just arrogate powers to himself and decide to do what he wants
“This is a wrong precedence.The CS needs to apol-ogise publicly to teachers. His actions are unacceptable,” she said. She continued: “He should appear be-fore the Senate, explain himself and apol-ogise to Kenyans. Being in that position does not mean he is better than others. It is God’s favor. When God favors you, it does not mean that you step on others?
“For someone who has been stripped off powers to manage the human resource, then I dont see any important role that he has in the ministry.” Steve Nderi who is the ELP party leader noted.
