Gachagua to Cabinet Secretaries: Ignore opinion polls

By Peter Ochieng 

Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua has urged Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) focus on their work, in the wake of opinion poll results gauging their performance.

Gachagua, speaking on Friday during the launch of construction works for the Riruta-Ngong Commuter Rail line in Kajiado County, encouraged CSs to focus on their jobs, instead of listening to the ‘noise’ being generated by results of surveys.

“If you listen to this people making noise you will get stuck. If the President and I listen to the people making noise, the country will grind to a halt. We have never been persuaded by those opinion polls and we are not about to start listening to them,” said the DP.

The Deputy President noted that the CSs were given a mandate by president William Ruto to serve Kenyans, and that should be their sole focus.

“You have been given a job by the President, focus on it. The same people released findings in 2007 and said Raila Odinga would win the elections, did he win? In 2013, they again said he would win. In 2022, they also said he will win. Ignore those polls, they have no meaning.”

On Wednesday, the Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA) released results of a new poll assessing the performance Cabinet Secretaries. At least 3,0009 respondents were polled between November 25 and December 7, 2023.

Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki was rated the best-performing, scoring 65 percent.

Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs came in second with a score of 62 percent, followed by Ezekiel Machogu of Education who landed a 58 percent rating.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha and Kipchumba Murkomen of Roads and Transport tied in the fourth position with 57 percent.

Energy and Petroleum CS Davis Chirchir was ranked the worst performing, with a score of 19 percent.