‘Ministers Have No Power!’ – Mithika Linturi Breaks Ice On Ruto CSs’ Powerless Demeanor
Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has alleged that Cabinet Secretaries in Kenya’s Kwanza cabinet often lack autonomy.
Linturi emphasizes this, particularly during appointments, supporting previous pronouncements by former Attorney General and CS Justin Muturi.
Linturi recounted in an interview with Weru TV on Sunday how an appointment he had scheduled with the Pyrethrum Company of Kenya (PCK) was withdrawn in a gazette notice without his knowledge.
According to the former CS, he decided to extend the director of the parastatal’s appointment on a Wednesday, but the appointment was withdrawn on Friday via a gazette notification.
This was despite the CS using his office to confirm to the director that his tenure would be extended.
“Ministers have no power. They do not sign anything. Names are printed on the gazette notice claiming that they made the appointments,” Linturi claimed.
In an earlier instance, he recalled a close friend of his and the current Vice Chancellor of Meru University of Science and Technology, Prof Simon Thuranira, was dismissed from his then position as the chairperson of Bukura Agricultural College.
Linturi recalled that his name was published as the one who had revoked the appointment, even though he did not have anything to do with it.
This, he stated, was the first time he ever complained about the appointments by writing a letter to the government printer clarifying that he had not made the appointments.
“I told my boss that I have a constituency in Meru, and there is no way they can keep getting fired through my name without my knowledge, even after committing myself,” he stated.
Linturi then raised the issue with the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, encouraging him to investigate, but the former MP claims nothing changed.
Former CS Mithika Linturi says he once tried resigning from the cabinet because of the frustration he got from the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei. Mithika says his appointments were revoked and he had to protest to the president. pic.twitter.com/WcL6O7lNe5
— Weru TV (@WeruTV) April 21, 2025
Linturi confessed that his relationship with Koskei was strained because he disobeyed some of his appointment directions.
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“My relationship with Felix Koskei was very bad because he did not listen to anything I said, because I used to question some of the doings in government more than once,” he relayed.
“Even renewing the contract of Kubai at the AFC (Agricultural Finance Corporation) was out of protest.”
He added: “The letters were there, but the head of public service did not want to. He asked me to appoint other people, but I refused and told him I would rather get fired.”
In addition to these appointments, he claimed that other parastatals will have a majority of seats occupied by the same ethnic tribe, such as one with 26 of 40 employees from the same tribe.
‘Ministers Have No Power!’ – Mithika Linturi Breaks Ice On Ruto CSs’ Powerless Demeanor
