The running joke within the top echelons of the Kenya Kwanza administration is that officials are better off receiving a call from President William Ruto than Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
A call from Mr Koskei, insiders say, puts you on edge —whether you are a cabinet secretary, a principal secretary or a public servant of a lower cadre.
You need to be in touch with what is happening in your docket. You need to have facts at your fingertips. You break a sweat out of fear that something might be happening without your knowledge.
Whereas that might be an exaggeration of the powers wielded by Mr Koskei, it speaks to the “prefect” role the career civil servant is playing in the administration and his reshaping of the powerful position.
As per President Ruto’s Executive Order Number 1 of 2023, Mr Koskei has five official duties, with the sixth being any role that may be assigned by the President.
Recent happenings suggest a gradual elevation beyond those five.
September was one of Mr Koskei’s busiest months. He had at least nine public engagements, issued at least two directives with far-reaching consequences, one…
