Intrigues, intense lobbying ahead of unveiling Cabinet

By Juma Kwayera

KENYA: With elections over, attention has shifted to the unease building up ahead of unveiling the Cabinet this week. Uhuru Kenyatta

However, while President is unruffled by the intense lobbying for public office appointment, Deputy President William Ruto has a headache to fill suitable candidates for the 11 Cabinet slots allocated to his United Republican Party (URP).

Even more intriguing are revelations that some senior civil servants, senior State House staff and senior security officials who were lynchpins of the Kibaki administration are crossing fingers, as they face the axe for their role in attempts to block the Jubilee duo from ascending to power over ICC cases.

Although the two coalition partners are faced with tough choices, the failure by URP leadership to cultivate relationships with leaders outside its Rift Valley forte has returned to haunt it.  There are an estimated 22,000 applications for the slots. The executive is restricted by the Constitution to 22 ministries, a departure from the past when a president would expand the Cabinet to accommodate divergent interests as well as reward loyalists.

The President and his deputy have been working on a list of professionals to take over the Cabinet positions to be shared on a 50-50 basis between The National Alliance (TNA) and URP. Asked for perspectives on how the new-look government is taking shape Dujis MP, Adan Duale, could only confirm that list was nearly complete.

“Uhuru and Ruto are not wasting any time in office, their hands are full as the country awaits them to unveil the new Cabinet. I can tell you for sure that it is only the two who know the people they will entrust into key positions in Government and Kenyans will not be disappointed when the announcement is made,” Mr Duale said.

Challenges

Sources say the Executive could not name the Cabinet last week as Parliament had not constituted the committee to vet the names. However, disorder in URP made it necessary to put on hold the exercise, pending resumption of sittings by Parliament on Tuesday.

One of the challenges the deputy president faces is some qualified people were previously opposed to his candidature. Quite a sizeable number too belongs to the “analogue” generation hence not suitable for the kind of dynamism President Uhuru and Ruto promised the country during their campaigns.

The leaders allies who of late have opted to speaking to the media off the record, point out that although the parties still adhere to the pre-election deal, URP’s penchant for disorder will harm its fortunes in the long run.

MPs and Senators we spoke to, say the infighting pose a threat to the coalition, which has prompted the president to enter post-election coalition agreements with smaller parties as an insurance against potential implosion in URP. The deputy president’s underbelly is gradually being exposed, with loyal supporters openly describing him as a “rough-hewn diamond” that requires some finishing to shine brightly. In comparison, Uhuru has held high profile portfolios in Government, hence he is adequately prepared to make some tough decisions, even if unpopular.

Some sources The Standard On Sunday spoke to say, while the President has name and legacy to protect, Ruto is grappling with satisfying the interests of the people who financed his campaign.

“Uhuru has no debts to repay because he financed his own campaign. He is therefore under no obligation to grant any favours. For Ruto, it is a total nightmare. His party has no structures, which makes it difficult for him to make informed choices. Until Davis Chirchir joined the secretariat just a month to the election, URP was run on ad hoc basis. The party does not have a pool of advisors to enable the party leader to make decisions, especially appointments,” Ruto’s ally, who preferred anonymity, disclosed. 

The ally who is a key member of Ruto campaign reckons the high expectation in the Deputy President’s camp could breed discontent. The fear of a falling out is an indication why the unveiling of the Cabinet was suspended by more than five days to enable URP to do some housekeeping. Dr Julius Kones concurs that his party faces a rough time in satisfying competing interests.  

Election losers

“His problem is Rift Valley has huge pool of talents. What is not in doubt is that people want fresh faces, not people with baggage. He has to temper his promises with people who will deliver services,” the former Konoin MP, says.

As a way of limiting the expected backlash, TNA and URP, would-be candidates who were elected MPs and Senators, have been barred from quitting their seats for Cabinet or Principal Secretaries posts. A close ally of the President said they had resolved not to subject the electorate to another election, so soon.

At the close of business on Thursday Jubilee was deliberating over the applications for the 21 Cabinet positions and a similar number of principal secretaries.

Eldama Ravine MP, Moses Lessonet declined to comment on the intrigues. However, he is categorical that the parties are keen to see if the new administration will recycle the “analogue” generation.

“The two men know what they are looking for. I would be disappointed if they appointed the old men and women who served in last regimes. These names have been around for far too long and it is time they are rested,” explains Mr Lessonet, without naming names. However, most elected leaders’ have opposed recycled Cabinet ministers.

Former ministers eyeing Cabinet positions are Najib Balala, Charity Ngilu, Chirau Mwakwere, Samuel Phogisio, Njeru Githae, Amos Kimunya and Sam Ongeri among others. However, there have been questions about what value Ngilu, Balala, Ongeri and Mwakwere – considered to be past their sell-by date in politics – will add to the new-look government. The four may constitute a team of wise men and women to advise the president and his deputy.

What is said to have caused the delay in unveiling the team is the attempt not only to get fresh faces for the positions but also to accommodate election losers.
“In the spirit of gender and regional balancing, some key positions in the National Assembly and the Senate have been given to leaders from minority communities and marginalised zones. This will ease the burden on the principals in accommodating the high number of professionals and leaders angling to be accommodated in government,” Samburu East MP Francis Letimalo said.

A President’s confidant told The Standard On Sunday that to achieve inclusivity in government; Jubilee had adopted a formula that will see all the 47 counties represented in government either as Cabinet Secretaries or principal secretaries.

The dockets for TNA led by President Uhuru Kenyatta are foreign affairs, transport, agriculture, water natural resources, justice and constitutional affairs, labour, trade and industry, tourism and wildlife, information and communication and internal security. URP on the other hand will be in charge of finance, energy and minerals, devolution (local government), lands, education, home affairs, sports and youth affairs, health, roads and public works.

— Additional reporting by Vitalis Kimutai