President William Ruto on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, presided over the signing of the performance contract at State House, Nairobi.
The event saw Cabinet Secretaries (CSs), Principal Secretaries (PSs) and Parastatal heads sign performance contracts with the government.
Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua angrily slammed CSs who arrived late at the event at State House.
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"I don't know whether it is because these performance contracts have been going on for 20 years that many people may be mistakenly think that it is a ritual and that is why people resort to the old incompetent excuses that there was traffic for them not to be in the most important public function," Ruto grumbled.
The President noted that CSs who couldn't keep time had basically dismissed themselves, telling them that he expected a written explanation for their lateness - albeit without citing traffic as the cause of their late arrival at the function.
"We have a job because we have a contract. If you cannot keep time with your employer you have basically dismissed yourself. I mean it is just simple as that. So those who came late, who are members of the Executive, I would be expecting a written explanation and it should not include matters of traffic, on why they do not take this performance seriously," Ruto said.
"Because if you do not take this performance contracting seriously it means we do not take the contract with the people of Kenya on performance seriously and that can be a very serious indictment on anybody," he added.
Trouble
Speaking during the event, Gachagua warned CSs and PSs over lateness, saying that there cannot be any justification for that.
"I saw some were late, and I looked at the President in the eye and realised that there would be trouble for them. You can't arrive at an event when the President is already seated. Why would you come late? How do you explain that? Who did you go to see and yet today was the most important day for you to sign contracts?'' Gachagua said.
The second in command further disclosed that he had only been late once and that it was due to an unavoidable circumstance.
"Since you appointed me I have only been late once, it was only when you confused me because you said you would leave State House at 7:30 am so that we meet at the airport but you left here at 6:30 am," Gachagua said.
