Esipisu defends public servants participation in politics

The government has defended the presence of public servants in public barazas and rallies, saying they are not campaigning for the president but are merely being accountable for their duties.

Speaking at the Eldoret State Lodge during his weekly press briefing, Mr Esipisu said the senior civil servants, including cabinet secretaries, Principal Secretaries and other senior staff, have to account on the progress made by the Kenyatta Administration since taking over the reins of power, adding that the government has spent trillions of tax payers’ money in infrastructure development and other services, and they have to account for it.

“They have to account on the progress the administration of President Uhuru Kenyatta has made since taking office; they have to account for the trillions of shillings in taxes collected from the Kenyan people,” he said.

The State House spokesman further noted that the civil servants support the president and his administration because “they are accountable to the President who appointed them in the first place, and whose vision of service to the Kenyan people it is their duty to operationalise.”

He denied claims that the civil servants are campaigning for President Kenyatta, saying they are merely “describing investments made under President Kenyatta and the impact thereof”.

“For us, it is really a question of accountability. It is precisely because public officers are speaking more that the country acknowledges that Kenya is irreversibly transforming,” he added.