The moment CS Murkomen dismissed job seeking hustler
On April 2, 2024, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen conducted a spot check at the offices of the National Transport and Safety Authority.
He toured the facility and in a statement afterwards, he said he had been to the agency to discuss issues that “affected the services provided to the public.”
“We have resolved to accelerate the pace of migration and strengthen the team responsible for service migration by including personnel from the ICT Authority. I want to thank Kenyans for their patience, and I urge those who have not yet collected their number plates, driving licenses, and logbooks to do so. The services offered by the Authority are essential, and many Kenyans are being inconvenienced, not because of a lack of services but due to failure to collect their documents after completing the processes. Currently, there are 52,192 uncollected intelligent driving licenses for motorcycles and motor vehicles, as well as 41,827 number plates and 235,229 logbooks,” said CS Murkomen.
However, during his tour, one moment in time stood out during his interaction with those within the premises of the NTSA.
As he walked by spectators seated in a waiting lounge, he greeted two men and one of them appeared to be speaking to the CS about a personal issue.
“Honorable, how are you? I am a hustler…my biggest problem right now is getting a job,” said the unidentified man.
It was the CS’s response that stunned those in the vicinity and viewers of the now viral video clip.
“No, no. We are not giving out jobs here,” said the CS in a dismissive tone and he walked on by.
His tone and demeanor is a stack contrast to what the government he represents stands for.
The Kenya Kwanza government, led by President William Ruto, ran a campaign where they pandered to hustlers that they would be a government that works for them compared to past governments that only cared about dynasties. So much so that the government began calling itself a Hustler government- despite all those running the campaigns being millionaires and billionaires.
This ‘Hustler movement’ is what endeared them to voters who put them in power and in their campaign promises, they vowed to ensure that hustlers obtained jobs and policies would be made in their favor so that they could run small and medium enterprises to cater for their own basic needs.
This ‘hustler’ narrative also saw the government push for the affordable housing projects that would see millions of hustlers employed by the government to build houses across the country, as well as promise hutlers employment opportunities in the service industry in foreign nations such as Saudi Arabia.
However, with Murkomen’s dismissal, coupled with a June 2023 statement by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on how there are no jobs for graduates because the government cannot guarantee enough jobs for all, it would appear empowering the hustler movement is no longer a top priority for the Kenya Kwanza government in their ‘bottom up’ ideals as they overly promised during the campaigns.
“Mnasema mambo ya jobs? Hapo iko kibarua…I have told you that I’m an honest man. I don’t want to sit here and lie to you that we have jobs for you. We are going to create them with you,” DP Gachagua told graduating students.
President Ruto has, meanwhile, promised to give jobs to youth under his flagship affordable housing programme.
The Head of State has also asked Kenyans to look for jobs outside the country.
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