I was Forced to Resign – Mudavadi’s Former Secretary Kabatesi Claims

Former Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s secretary for Strategic Communication Kibisu Kabatesi now claims to have been forced out.

Kabatesi resigned on November 1 citing personal reasons.

“I undertake to resign from the position of secretary of government strategic communication, effective November 1, 2023,” said Kabatesi in his resignation letter dated October 25.

“I do this with humility that my talent will find utility at another time in the service of our great country.”

However, on Tuesday, the long-serving aide of Mudavadi told a local daily that he chose to vacate office over a statement made mid October.

Speaking to the daily, Kabatesi claimed that a senior government operative demanded an apology over his take on the redesignation of the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office.

“I was pushed out because he demanded an apology for my October 15 statement. I chose to resign,” he is quoted by The Star.

Read: Mudavadi’s Secretary Kibisu Kabatesi Resigns, Cites Personal Reasons

In October, State House chief of staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced that Mudavadi’s office would be moved from Kenya Railways Headquarters to Old Treasury Building.

Kabatesi later issued a statement saying that the powers to reorganise government and designate offices for state officers was a prerogative of President William Ruto.

“Any public servant purporting to allocate Ministerial locations or portfolios is misguided to the extent that they are attempting to usurp a function that belongs to the President,” Kabatesi said on October 15.

“Additionally, portfolio designation is the prerogative of the President and cannot be usurped by a Civil Servant. In the recent reorganisation of government, the State Department of Performance Management under which the Public Service Performance Management Unit falls was deployed to the Ministry of Public Service.”

Kabatesi was appointed to the position in March. He was tasked with supervising government strategic communication of policy, its articulation and dissemination in his new patch at the presidency while overseeing and guiding strategic communication across government ministries, state departments and agencies.

Prior to the appointment, he served as the former ANC party leader’s director for communications, private secretary and spokesman.