Parastatals or state corporations exist on at least three principles. They include to generate money as commercial entities, to provide social services and for national cohesion.
But the cardinal reason why they exist is to serve Kenyans.
The model of appointing CEOs, chairpersons and members of boards of parastatals in the past was not based on capacity to deliver.
It was based on cronyism and patronage in all the four former presidents: Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta.
Under President William Ruto, a new paradigm shift to efficiency and the economic aspect and service to the people seems to be becoming the norm.
Therefore, the people he is appointing, and if the trend continues like that, then it is clear that he wants a total revolution on how state corporations should be run.
With the trend, we will see the parastatals achieve their intended goals.
That is still a mirage and it is too far for us to start to celebrate, until we see tangible benefits.
It is because of that that the President needs to be given time to actualise his bottom-up model.
Certainly, that is the model that parastatals are going to use; the model that will turn this country upside down.
If the state gives orders to parastatals bosses as we saw with the previous administration of Kenyatta 1, Moi, Kibaki and Kenyatta 2 then we will be playing musical chairs.
But I am very positive that the intention of Ruto to replace parastatal chiefs and allow them to work will give the results Kenyans want.
Because, short of that (giving them space to work), the situation will remain the same and the appointments that we are seeing, and in fact as has been the case, will not have any results.
The President has started on a high. We have seen him meet state officials for three days and he was personally there.
That means he wants government officials to work for Kenyans, and parastatal chiefs are not an exception.
So, let us be upbeat that things will be different this time around in our parastatals.
The lawyer spoke to the Star