Kibaki tenure ends as jostling for Cabinet posts intensifies

Kenya opens a new chapter on Tuesday as President Kibaki retires and Mr Uhuru Kenyatta takes charge.

By Allan Kisia and Martin Mutua
Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya opens a new chapter on Tuesday as President Kibaki retires and Mr Uhuru Kenyatta formally takes over as the fourth President.
Also ceasing to hold office after on Tuesday’s power-shift will be Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, given both their offices will cease to exist the moment Uhuru is sworn in.

Also making entry is Kenya’s first Deputy President-elect Mr William Ruto, who will take the oath of office after Uhuru.

Kibaki will be exiting the political arena after 50 years during which he served as Member of Parliament and held many ministerial portfolios, before eventually getting the Vice Presidency.
But his career also saw him lead the Opposition, from whose benches he finally ended up as President after two failed bids: in 1992 and 1997.
According to Government officials all the 52 African leaders and heads of governments have been invited to the swearing-in of Uhuru, following the March 30 ruling by the Supreme Court, throwing out the petition filed by Raila.
Tuesday’s planned colourful ceremony that brings together several world leaders, among them South African President Jacob Zuma and Sudanese President Omar El Bashir, will be presided over by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Ms Gladys Boss Shollei and witnessed by Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga.
Both Bashir and Uhuru have been accused of serious international crimes at International Criminal Court (ICC).
While Uhuru has answered his charges at ICC and is currently contesting to have them thrown out for lack of evidence, Bashir on the other refused to appear at The Hague, leading to indictment, for which according to the Rome Statute, any member state he visits, including Kenya is obligated to arrest and hand him over to the court.
Bashir’s attendance was confirmed by the Akbar al-Youm, a Sudanese pro-government newspaper that said he was expected to fly into the country today in readiness for the function after which he will go to Chad to attend another official function.
But even as preparations for the handover at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani, went into top gear, jostling among members of the Jubilee coalition on who should be included in the 22-member Cabinet intensified.

Meanwhile, it was reported both Uhuru and Ruto were making their own final preparations for the day, including refining their inaugural speeches and confirming which of their invited guests was coming.
Credible persons
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi called for appointment of credible persons to the positions of Cabinet secretaries, the team of technocrats who will now replace ministers. (See separate story)

He, however, said that he had confidence in both Uhuru and Ruto that they will pick persons who merit the positions.
But Kiambu Governor William Kabogo said he was opposed to the appointment of persons who had either won or lost in the recent elections. Kabogo, a close ally of Uhuru said the government needed to have a new face and appealed to the two to appoint a set of new people.
Kericho Senator Charles Keter hit out at some ‘anonymous MPs’ who had accused him alongside Mr Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo MP) and Aden Duale (Garissa MP) of allegedly arm-twisting the two leaders in bid to be appointed to the Cabinet.
“How can I arm-twist my party leader yet he is a leader by his own right who has his own mind and that is why he has reached where he is now?” posed Keter.
Keter said those who are to be appointed must be persons who can deliver. “If someone is a failure they cannot be given any jobs,” added Keter and accused the MPs of going out to malign his name.
Sources told The Standard Uhuru spent the better part of the day putting final touches on his inaugural speech. “He is with his speech writers and they have been going over and over the speech to fine tune it in readiness for the event,’ a close ally of Uhuru who preferred anonymity disclosed.
At Kasarani, the Kenya Defence Forces, cultural entertainers and performing artists rehearsed their roles as construction workers raced against time to complete the VIP dais.
Sports facility
This is the country’s largest sports facility with a capacity to hold 60,000 people. It was a beehive of activity as organisers moved up and down to ensure everything was in order.

The military rehearsed in the morning while entertainers practiced their moves in the afternoon. The final rehearsals will be held today in the morning from 8am.
An official who sought anonymity explained entertainers were selected from across the country to give the event a Kenyan face.  “They will not be just groups of entertainers appearing before guests and the rest of Kenyans. They will be groups showing the face of Kenya,” he added.
Richard Khadambi, one of the organisers, revealed the East African Community (EAC) Anthem will be played alongside the Kenyan National Anthem during the event. Khadambi, who contributed to the development of the EAC anthem, said only two verses and not three, of the EAC Anthem will be played.

“This is because this is not an EAC Heads of State Summit but a swearing in occasion. The military have been rehearsing the EAC anthem and they are all set for the big day,” he added..
Entertainers who rehearsed yesterday included Narok High School, Momboko Dancers, Chuka Drummers, Kuria Dancers, Imachina Isikuti Dancers, Bandari Dancers and Kochia Dancers.
Repair works on the road from the Thika Road exit to the main entrance of the stadium have already been completed. The road has been recarpeted and the bushes on the sides cleared.
The stadium will open its doors to the public as early as 7am so that by 10am the ceremony could begin.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will speak on behalf of all invited guests including other Heads of State.