Jubilee leaders on the spot for locking youth out of Cabinet

President Kenyatta and the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at the winners gala of the Kenya National Schools Drama Festivals at the Mombasa State House on Friday. Photo/GIDEON MAUNDU  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By JULIUS SIGEI jsigei@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, April 26  2013 

IN SUMMARY

• Questions raised over credibility and tribal composition of nominees

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s unveiling of 16 Cabinet Secretary nominees on Friday attracted criticism from politicians, church leaders and the civil society. The leaders accused the President and his deputy, Mr William Ruto. of allocating the most powerful posts to nominees from their ethnic communities. 

Anglican Church of Kenya Mombasa Diocese Bishop Julius Kalu said the Coast region had been short changed in the Cabinet appointments and proposed that one of the remaining two slots be given to a person from the area. The Cabinet Secretary nominee for Mining, Mr Najib balala, is from the Coast.

But Bishop Kalu said Mr Balala did not represent the interests of the predominant Mijikenda community.

“There are so many qualified and experienced sons of the Coast from the Mijikenda community. One of them should be given the remaining two positions. I hope Mrs Charity Ngilu and Mr Balala are the last of the politicians appointed to Cabinet” said the bishop.

Kituo Cha Sheria executive director Gertrude Angote said the President let Kenyans down by nominating the two politicians to the Cabinet.

“The two are not suitable for the appointments as they have previously demonstrated political affiliations. Kenyans did not envisage they would be part of the new Cabinet as these positions require people with relevant expertise,” said Ms Angote.

The Gender and Equality Commission said the appointments had excluded the youth and people with disability. The commission’s chair, Mrs Winnie Lichuma, said they would seek audience with the President next week to discuss the matter.

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto broke with tradition in picking a team of mainly technocrats and the style of naming. But the two were still seen to keep to the beaten path in appointing their trusted allies to the high-profile ministries.

The lucrative ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, which will be in charge of air, sea, road and rail transport as well as public works, has gone to Mr Michael Kamau, the Roads permanent secretary in the Mwai Kibaki government.

Power-sharing deal

Mr Kamau will also be in charge of the multi-billion-shilling Lamu Port and Lamu Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET).

It is also instructive that in the power-sharing deal seen by the Saturday Nation, President Kenyatta’s TNA wing of the coalition had earlier been given Transport while Mr Ruto’s URP had been promised the Roads and Public Works portfolio.

Ms Ann Waiguru, a close ally of the President, was given the powerful Devolution and Planning docket. In the past administrations, the Local Government docket, the equivalent of new Devolution ministry, had been one of the most sought-after.

At the inception of the grand coalition government, the ministry was held by former Sabatia MP Musalia Mudavadi, who was the second in command in former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s side of government.

With the 47 devolved governments now in place, Ms Waiguru will be one of the most influential secretaries responsible for billions of shillings disbursed to the counties annually.

Mr James Wainaina Macharia, another nominee from central Kenya, has been given the Health docket. According to the Vision 2030 and Millennium Development Goals, it should be one of the most funded dockets. Mr Macharia will oversee the building of a referral hospital in each of the 47 counties.

The Education, Science and Technology ministry, which is set to consume 32 per cent of the GDP by 2018, went to Prof Jacob Kaimenyi, another nominee from Mt Kenya region.

And on Mr Ruto’s side, Mr Henry Rotich, from Elgeyo Marakwet, bagged the National Treasury docket. Mr Rotich will be the safe keeper of the country’s purse with a say on what goes to the other ministries and the 47 counties.

And the former chairman of the elections board at URP, Mr Davis Chirchir, was handed the lucrative Energy and Petroleum portfolio. Previously held by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi, the docket has one of the highest numbers of parastatals. With the discovery of oil in Turkana, Mr Chirchir will be one of the most influential Cabinet secretaries.

Agriculture, which Mr Ruto previously held, and which will now have the added Livestock and Fisheries departments, has gone to Mr Felix Kiptarus Koskei from the Deputy President’s Nandi county backyard.

It is one of the biggest ministries and it will be in charge of more than 50 parastatals. The strategic Ministry of Tourism, Commerce and the East African Community, has gone to Ms Phyllis Kandie from Baringo.

In the last administration the three departments were all full-pledged ministries. Tourism alone has been the second highest foreign exchange earner in the country.

Kajiado Central MP Joseph Nkaissery and his Kilgoris counterpart Gideon Konchellah yesterday continued with their threats to shoot down the list when the names come up in Parliament if a Maasai was not given a slot.

“We gave Jubilee nine out of the 11 parliamentary seats in Narok and Kajiado. Almost all the other elective positions were also taken by either URP or TNA. Why are we being punished?” asked Mr Konchellah.

Mr Korei Lemein of Narok South said the Maasai might reconsider their support for Jubilee. However, Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Chepalungu MP Paul Savimbi Bii came to the defence of the President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, saying those complaining should wait until the principal secretaries had been appointed to see if their communities will not be included.

“They should look at the bigger picture. We in URP, for instance, lobbied to have Ekwee Ethuro from Turkana get the Senate Speaker’s slot while Garissa Township MP Aden Duale got the powerful Majority Leader’s position,” Mr Bii said.

The nominee for the Ministry of Interior and Cordination of National Government, as well as that of Labour, Social Security and Services have not been named.

And the Saturday Nation has learnt that Mr Ruto on Friday morning met Narok senator Stephen ole Ntutu and a number of MPs who reportedly assured them that one of the remaining slots would go to the Maasai community.

“We met him and he assured us on this matter. The only thing we couldn’t tell was who among our sons would be nominated,” said an MP who requested not to be named saying it would jeopardise delicate talks.

The MP said Mr Lawrence Lenayapa, who had been appointed as State House Comptroller could not be counted among the Maasai as he was a “Rendile who spoke Samburu.
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