Titus Kitili Mbathi is a former civil servant and politician in Kenya. He was among the few independence-era civil servants turned politicians still alive, Sunday Nation reports.
“When I was appointed Minister for Labour in President Moi’s Cabinet, I set out to bring about significant changes in the labor laws and the relations between workers and employers. However, my tenure was short-lived. I was dismissed by Moi for doing my job.
What broke the camel’s back was an incident at the wedding of General Mulinge’s son at Stony Athi. The wedding was attended by the President as the guest of honour and several ministers, including me.
After congratulating the young couple, the President announced that the Civil Servants Union and the University 192 Staff Union were working against the interests of the country. Consequently, they would be de-registered with immediate effect. When I complained to Jeremiah Kiereini—the Head of the Civil Service, seated next to me—for not being consulted, he told me he also knew nothing about it.
As Minister for Labour, I felt duty-bound to advise the President that in accordance with the ILO convention on employment, to which we were signatory, the unions should have been given an opportunity to defend themselves before being deregistered.
When I met the President at State House the following week, I requested him to reconsider his decision as it was contrary to the ILO convention to which we were a signatory. The President’s reply literally shocked me. He told me that as a sovereign state we could do whatever we wanted. Then looking me straight in the eye, he asked me whether I was the same person whom he had appointed as minister.
It was then clear to me that my goose was cooked and that my days as minister were numbered. Since then, his attitude towards me changed and he was openly hostile.”
Mbathi served in the first post-independence government, worked under Moi as a Cabinet minister and Mwai Kibaki.
He retired from government service at the age of 42 to go into private employment and business before joining politics. Mbathi had amassed a lot of experience, having worked as a community development officer, lecturer in economics, and director of personnel in the Prime Minister’s office.
He was also Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development. Mbathi ventured into private business in air freighting, real estate, commercial farming, ranching, and horticultural farming.
His vast experience in the public and private sectors enabled him to effectively represent his constituency in the National Assembly when he eventually joined politics.
