Media personality Big Ted has opened up about why he and his team worked at State House for a full year without receiving a salary after retired President Uhuru Kenyatta assumed office.
Big Ted explained that they reported to State House immediately after Uhuru won the election and were assigned duties right away. Confident that remuneration would follow, they began working full-time as expected.
However, they later discovered that employment in public service is governed by strict procedures that must be approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“The law requires all public service jobs to be advertised, shortlisted and filled through a competitive process. This applies to everyone in Kenya to ensure fairness,” Big Ted said.
He noted that the approval process involved extensive paperwork that went back and forth for nearly a year, causing a prolonged delay in payment.
“The waiting period was frustrating, but unavoidable because of government bureaucracy,” he added.
Big Ted recalled that when payment finally came through after a year, it arrived as a lump sum of about KSh3 million.
“When the money came in, my bank called me and showed me the statement. I instantly withdrew KSh300,000,” he said, describing the relief of finally being paid.
In 2013, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Big Ted as the Deputy Director of Brand and Strategy at State House, a role he served in for two years. In 2015, he moved to the Executive Office of the President, where he served as Director of Brand Strategy and Events.
