One of the tasks that President Uhuru Kenyatta has to carry out in the beginning of his final term is the formation of a new cabinet.
Kenyans are anxiously waiting for this there are speculations that some of the serving cabinet secretaries could be dropped while others could be retained. Whichever way, the upcoming cabinet will be characterised by the following elements:
1. Loyalists
Every government world over has its proponents and opponents. In Africa particularly, when regimes seize power, the first thing they do is form their preferred government structure/lineup. Powerful and influential posts are given to persons who stood by/with the government leaders during the campaign period, mostly sycophants.
Kenya is not any different from the rest of the world. President Kenyatta's awaited cabinet announcement will be characterised by faces who walked with his party door to door during the recently concluded vote hunting process.
You can name them! The most unfortunate and unpleasant thing about many of these loyalists is that they don't come in to help the appointing authority to govern; instead they go on a looting spree and walk scot free even when there's sufficient evidence beyond reasonable doubt that they swindled government. This is Africa.
2. Ethnicity
When selecting Cabinet Secretaries, priority may be given to the UhuRuto's tribes and other friendly communities. You can't blame the duo for this move - that's how we are wired. They are just captives of historical inequality. This is to enable the government to manage its public relations and to ensure that ministerial dockets don't fall in the hands of the rivals.
3. Technocrats
Of course UhuRuto will try to paint a professional image of their cabinet by picking individuals from the corporate world to help them run government. Looking at President Kenyatta's first term, this did not yield much results given that the technocrats don't make political noise to cover up messes in their dockets.
Instead, they softly fight back allegations and lose the argument. In return, this portrays the government in bad light. For this reason, a lesser number of them will be brought on board this time.
4. Opposition
In a bid to entice regions the government deems unfriendly, UhuRuto could pick professionals or political losers from opposition regions just to make their case for the presidential election - that despite those regions not voting with them, the government went out of its way to appoint their people to power! They will demand payback.
5. Clueless
There are individuals who will be appointed to the cabinet but will add no value to the respective post(s) owing to lack of similar exposure or even inadequacy in administration and management. Such persons become the laughing stock of the nation. Their "funny" responses to issues of national importance are used across social media for fun - memes. Such would expose the government badly.
Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter
6. Gender Parity
In the spirit of affirmative action, President Kenyatta will pick hardworking ladies to his cabinet. If he fails to do so, there would be dramatic protests by women across the nation. The women would cite disregard, political treachery and lack of appreciation yet their votes helped the duo to retain power in the 2017 poll. This is a blunder UhuRuto can't make.
Kenyans hope that one day, some of the aforementioned unnecessary elements for instance ethnicity and loyalty could be ignored by the appointing authority in order to get the finest and the most suitable Kenyans to run ministries.