President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to deliver the address today on Thursday against the backdrop of a raging turmoil in the ruling Jubilee Party over the renewed war on corruption that threatens the stability of Jubilee party.
However, there is talk that the President may use the occasion to deliver a tough message on corruption that could alter the political landscape.
The pending address has fueled panic among members of the Cabinet as well as Principal secretaries, who fear being ousted from their positions.
“There is not much business going on in government because most of us and other senior government officials do not know if we will get fired tomorrow. I have already packed my things just in case I’m asked to step aside,” one official, who is linked to high-profile scandals, stated.
It is widely touted that the president will ask all the government personnel who have been mentioned in corruption investigations to vacate office.
The president is likely to make true his threat of sacking corrupt cabinet secretaries who have been widely mentioned or associated with craft cases.
In 2015, the President used the address to sack five cabinet secretaries who had been mentioned in corruption at that time. Ms Charity Ngilu, Davis Chirchir, Felix Koskei, Kazungu Kambi and Michael Kamau were eased out of cabinet after they were linked to scandals in their ministries.
“The fight against corruption is in top gear and the best the President can do to the nation is keeping to the path and that is to release all Cabinet Secretaries linked to corruption and corrupt practices on or before the State of the Nation address,” Member of Parliament Opondo Kaluma said.
While, in the past, the President has used the address to discuss general issues, things have changed dramatically over the past year with all likelihood that he will use it to escalate rhetoric surrounding the war on corruption, even as waging it has placed him at loggerheads with his deputy, Dr William Ruto, as well as a section of his own MPs.
With that said, here are some of the Cabinet Secretaries who have been mentioned and are likely to face the exit door today if President Kenyatta decides to take action.
The CSs implicated in the dams scandal are Simon Chelugui(Water) , Henry Rotich(National Treasury), Eugene Wamalwa (Devolution) and Mwangi Kiunjuri(Agriculture).
Although the Water CS has not been questioned yet, investigators believe he is implicated in the Itare Dam.
If the president decides to walk this way, then a looming break up in the ruling party of Jubilee is imminent. This could mark a major fall out between the two opposing sides in Jubilee government one led by the President and the other one led by Deputy President William Ruto.
There are also reports that indicate there will be a major Cabinet reshuffle before the Easter Holiday.