Education CS George Magoha responds to editorial cartoon published on January 6, 2021

Education CS George Magoha on Wednesday took a moment out of his formal speech to address an editorial cartoon published by one of te local dailies.

Without naming the newspaper which carried the cartoon, CS Magoha described its details while offering a response.

"Since I have this opportunity, I'd like to ask something. Having accepted to be a Cabinet Secretary, I accepted to be a public figure so I can take all the arrows, I'm very strong. You [journalists] have stated that you are doing things in good faith but today in one of the print media...

"I don’t mind the cartoons, but I’m supposed to be fueling a bus without wheels and it is full of children. Yet you are saying that you are balanced. There are many buses which are successfully ferrying students. Are you being fair? Because it's like government doesn’t know what it is doing, we’re groping around and we are fueling a vehicle with no wheels so it is going nowhere," he stated.

The cartoon had been published by the Standard.

A caricature of Education CS George Magoha published by the Standard on January 6, 2021 Pulse Live Kenya

The CS went on to elaborate that due to the alleged attack on government he had opted to limit his interactions with members of the fourth estate.

He, however, also stated that there are certain journalists who he believes have a high level of professionalism while dealing with government issues.

School Visits Banned

CS Magoha went on to ban school visits for the remainder of the school term, asking journalists to rely on Ministry officials for information instead of visiting the schools.

He clarified that members of the press would only be allowed into schools when they are accompanying the authorized ministry officials.

"I want to persuade you ladies and gentlemen that you will most kindly keep away from schools. I have a team out there and they have the capacity to accompany media into schools because examination issues are delicate. Our children will be sitting for their exams in the next eight weeks... I don't trust anybody when it comes to examinations," Prof. Magoha stated.

The CS was speaking during a forum with media personnel at Crowne Plaza, Nairobi.