Corridors of Power

Monday, 02 May 2011 00:02 BY POLITICAL DESK

The informal group of journalists formed to advise Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta on his media strategy is about to be disbanded.  At the end of last year, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, took on a special advisor, a former manager with one of the leading dailies, to improve his image in the media and advertising. The latter immediately gathered a dozen journalists, whom he paid to devise a media strategy for Uhuru in response to the risk from the International Criminal Court and ahead of the 2012 presidential election, in which he intends to run. This informal group held several sessions, but then suddenly stopped meeting.
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Many senior people including politicians are shying away from hosting outgoing US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger for a farewell party. Reason? Many are either fearing that the man may secretly record and wire to Washington conversations he will have with them. Others are still bitter he talked ill of them or their cronies as captured in the Wikileaks diplomatic cables. So far, only two prominent individuals have hosted Ranneberger for a farewell party and another influential personality is hosting him today. Raphael Tuju, the President's adviser on media is  the third one to throw a farewell bash for Ranneberger today.
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A former senior official at the Youth Enterprise Fund is reportedly under investigations for awarding funds to private employment agencies without the knowledge of the board. Several board members concerned about the payments have reported and forwarded information to the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission. They want the agency to establish how the official paid the companies who are responsible for shipping out youth to foreign countries especially in the Middle-East to work as casual labourers.
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Several senior officials at City Hall are raising questions about the Sh3.5 billion which the government claims to have spent on improvement of the road network in the city. A senior official at City Hall recently wrote to the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission as well as to the Minister for Local Government and the permanent secretary in the same ministry demanding to be given a breakdown of how two parastatals charged with road construction and maintenance spent the money.