Restore discipline in the Cabinet for prosperity

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Governments are elected to govern, not wage silent wars against themselves. Yet when confidential State information repeatedly finds its way into public domain before official announcements, the problem becomes a crisis of trust, discipline and leadership at the highest levels of power.

And when Cabinet Secretaries trade public jabs at each other, it exposes lack of unity of purpose and unwarranted tensions. The competing interests leave Kenyans at a loss on the direction the government is taking.

Still, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claims has accurately predicted government decisions before they are publicly announced, exposing deep cracks within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Whether the information is leaked deliberately or through institutional weaknesses, the message to Kenyans is, the government cannot keep its own house in order. That does not inspire confidence in Kenya Kwanza's ability to govern the nation.

State intelligence is among the most sensitive assets any country possesses. Intelligence agencies exist to gather, analyse and protect information to safeguard national security, economic interests and public order. When such information becomes a political weapon, the nation — not individual politicians — becomes the biggest casualty.

Governments rarely collapse because of external enemies alone but more often, they weaken from internal rivalries, mistrust and power struggles. Administrations consumed by succession politics gradually lose focus on the pressing needs of citizens.

Instead of discussing jobs, healthcare, education, the economy and food security, the national conversation shifts to who leaked what and who is undermining who? That is a dangerous distraction. If indeed, individuals within the government are feeding confidential information to political opponents, it raises serious questions about loyalty, professionalism and effectiveness of internal security systems.

Such actions amount to sabotage of public institutions. Those entrusted with sensitive information have a constitutional and ethical duty to protect it regardless of their political preferences. Equally troubling would be attempts to use intelligence agencies for political contests.

Intelligence should never become an instrument for settling scores or advancing personal ambitions. Once national security institutions are perceived as participants in political battles, public confidence in those institutions erodes rapidly.

President William Ruto's administration must therefore confront this challenge decisively. It is not enough to dismiss reports as mere politics. If there are moles within the government, they should be identified through lawful investigations and appropriate disciplinary or legal action taken. At the same time, leadership must address the underlying causes of internal divisions instead of allowing suspicion to flourish.

Kenyans did not vote for endless political intrigue but voted for solutions to unemployment, inflation, corruption, insecurity and economic hardship. Every time spent on internal feuds are minute stolen from national development.

The greatest threat to any administration is not always the opposition across the aisle, sometimes it is the divisions around the Cabinet table. When a government begins to eat itself from within, it risks losing the confidence of its supporters and the nation it was elected to serve. The time to restore unity, discipline and focus is now — before internal fractures become a national crisis.