Sharp-tongued Nkaissery is setting himself up for failure

Few public service careers take off as hopelessly as that of Joseph Nkaissery’s stint in Cabinet.
Whatever he does, fate has already conspired to ensure that Mr Nkaissery will forever be remembered as the Interior Cabinet Secretary on whose watch 147 helpless young Kenyans were slaughtered by terrorists while the security forces did little to save their lives.

It seems rather harsh that the retired major-general — only four months in office at the time of the April 2 Garissa University College attack — has to shoulder the political blame for a security cock-up for which he was probably let down by his juniors.

It can’t have been all Mr Nkaissery’s fault, for instance, that he and the Inspector-General of Police took the flight to Garissa, where they would be virtually rendered bystanders, while Recce Squad commandos waited for hours to catch transport to the scene of attack.

And, privately the minister was perhaps shocked, like the rest of us, at reports that the Kenya Police Airwing boss might have prioritised his relatives’ comfort over official duty in scheduling the use of the police aircraft that day.

SET HIMSELF UP FOR FAILURE

But Mr Nkaissery has himself tended to set himself up for failure defending the indefensible, being overly irritable or having his foot in the mouth. Last week, he sought to keep a straight face defending the brutes in police uniform who assaulted journalists out to investigate the detention of heads of cattle on a government ranch in Tana River for rent-seeking.

The ongoing shake-up of the North Eastern regional police and administration command challenges the wisdom of the minister’s initial public declaration of confidence in the security response to the Garissa attack despite the obvious signs of negligence captured by the horror of a student who was reportedly on the phone with her family for seven hours until a terrorist’s bullet cut her life short.

His dismissive response to journalists’ questions betrayed the arrogance of a man who believes he can dodge public accountability by force of brawn. It is not just the opinions of journalists that Mr Nkaissery has little respect for though.

Two weeks before the Garissa massacre, the Mandera Governor, Ali Roba found himself on the receiving end of the Interior minister’s sharp tongue after the former criticised the government’s response to insecurity in his county and the performance of the county commissioner.

In addition to dismissing the governor as “no more special than any other Kenyan”, Mr Nkaissery described the performance of the county commissioner whose abilities most local leaders have questioned as “above reproach”.

Never mind that Governor Roba has had six attempts on his life, some incidents involving terrorist bombings that claimed the lives of people in his convoy. Mr Nkaissery probably relishes the small victories in the verbal fights he picks here and there.

But his Cabinet career also seems to be one gaffe away from danger.

Otieno Otieno is Chief Sub-Editor, Business Daily. [email protected]. @otienootieno