Kenya: VP Should Have Consulted
Business Daily (Nairobi)
EDITORIAL
1 May 2008
Posted to the web 1 May 2008
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka's handling of the prison warders crisis is wanting. The snub by former Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs, Moody Awori, shows that Kalonzo had not done his homework.
It appears that Kalonzo did not consult his predecessor Awori before he announced that he has appointed him to lead a team to investigate the crisis in our prisons.
The era of surprise announcements and appointments is long gone and Kalonzo should learn fast. Again, the Ministry of Home Affairs has a Strategic Plan which is detailed and which the minister should familiarize himself with.
Also many civil society organizations have done research on what ails the prison service. This does not require another round of inquiry. We feel that Kalonzo was wrong to start such a probe, and we said as much.
We will say that again: This is not the time to waste time with commissions and investigations. The money used on such probes can simply go to buying uniforms and building proper housing for our prison warders.
For Awori, the snub was well intended and should be a lesson to other ministers. Consult widely before making any public appointments.