Kenyan-born Harvard professor Calestous Juma

In his tribute, President Uhuru Kenyatta described the late Kenyan-born Harvard professor Calestous Juma as “one of our most…

In his tribute, President Uhuru Kenyatta described the late Kenyan-born Harvard professor Calestous Juma as “one of our most distinguished scholars and patriots”. But the eulogy did not amuse some rights activists. Corridors heard them protesting that Kenya is known for rewarding mediocrity while ignoring their very best achievers. They cited the recent state commendations, which they said recognized only the least qualified. Is this a classic case of a prophet not being appreciated in his hometown? Calestous had been named among the most reputable people in the world in the inaugural list of “2017 Most Reputable People on Earth”.

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So, what really prompted the replacement of Kanu leader Gideon Moi as Senate energy committee chairman with Kericho’s Aaron Cheruiyot in Jubilee’s parliamentary committee leadership nominations? Word has it that the Baringo senator’s growing influence in Jubilee has ruffled the feathers of his Rift Valley archrival, DP William Ruto. Our mole tells Corridors that unease amongst Ruto’s right-hand men influenced Moi’s nomination to chair the ICT committee instead of the Energy one he headed in the last Parliament. It is said the men mounted pressure on their boss to prevail upon President Uhuru Kenyatta for the lucrative Energy committee to be reserved for the DP’s man. Everything, apparently, is being viewed through the 2022 prism.

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A Jubilee activist and former Journalist Josiah Murigo was on Tuesday kicked out of a media practitioners’ WhatsApp group after posting elsewhere a screenshot from the same group. The team wondered where he was taking the screenshot that wrongly found itself back to the group. Murigo is active on social media in bashing the Opposition. He lost in the Jubilee primaries ahead of the August 8 polls.

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AS President Uhuru Kenyatta plans to name his new Cabinet, interested parties are said to be using proxies to lobby or blackmail potential rivals. A top official at the OP is a marked person. Some of the officers are said to be unhappy with how he used resources during the campaigns and are on his case. The civil servant had been promised a senior post during the campaigns. Well, anyone who had value — in terms of votes — at that moment was promised a plum job as an incentive to work hard or stay within.

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A little bird whispers to Corridors that some people in NASA are becoming increasingly concerned that one of their top-ranked officials has been in close communication with a top Jubilee counterpart on the current political stalemate. The NASArite, it is said, has become frustrated by the circus in the Opposition outfit and is pondering his next move.

Source: The Star