The refusal by Millicent Omanga to serve on the Nairobi Rivers Commission appointed by President Willam Ruto begs several questions.
Given the significance of the ongoing debate of climate change and other environmental issues that threaten human life, any contribution towards saving the future of planet earth should be uppermost in the minds of right thinking Kenyans.
The responsibilities of the Commission go beyond spotting floating bottles on the rivers, as many naively think, and removing them. It is with this mistaken interpretation that Millicent’s fans have argued that the appointment is “not big” because they do not see the bigger picture and the common good.
Many Kenyans consider appointments as opportunities for promoting personal interests. Accordingly, they will cite “personal reasons” for declining appointments that lack opportunities for huge financial contracts, employment of kith and kin, publicity and personal emoluments, including miscellaneous allowances.
However, it is more honorable to resign “on principle” and cite specific rather than “personal reasons”, which we are compelled to respect because of our decency, although we may not value them.
The counsel, “Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things” recorded in Luke 16:10, makes sense but not to the political class. Perhaps the President should stick to his word and dish out such opportunities to “mama mboga” and the Gen Z instead of any “mama” on the street. ” If the President loses sight of the adjective “mboga” in his appointments, he will continue receiving regrets “for personal reasons”.