Sources inside Statehouse has confirmed that President Uhuru and DP Ruto have agreed in principle to appoint 12 politicians and 10 technocrats to be drawn from both the current civil servants and the private sector.
The source indicates Uhuru and Ruto will each nominate 11 people – six politicians and five technocrats each – who will be vetted by the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments.
The names of potential appointees were not immediately available but the list, according to sources, includes at least six serving Cabinet secretaries who are considered to have performed well in their dockets, although with a possibility of being shuffled. Uhuru is said to have informed six CSs and 10 principal secretaries that they are being considered for re-appointment.
1. Fred Matiang’i
2. Eugene Wamalwa
4. Charles Keter
4. Willy Bett
5. Najib Balala
6. Adan Mohammed
A principal secretary in one of the infrastructural ministries is set to be elevated to the position of head of the civil service and the President’s chief of staff to replace Joseph Kinyua, who is said to have requested to retire. A former minister is also reportedly lined up for the secretary to the Cabinet post.
Reports suggest the expanded Cabinet was informed by the leaders’ desire to ensure inclusive appointments by drawing in as many appointees from various regions as the Constitution allows. The Constitution provides that the Cabinet consist of not fewer than 14 and not more than 22 Cabinet secretaries. The President, the Deputy President, and the Attorney-General are the other members of the Cabinet.
The two Jubilee leaders are also expected to name principal secretaries (PSs) and diplomats in a balancing act that will take into consideration Uhuru’s legacy and the need to forge a united country following deeply divisive presidential elections.
The two leaders are also reportedly planning a major overhaul of the presidency (office of the President and that of the Deputy President), a move that may see some technocrats dropped and new blood injected as new aides. Uhuru and Ruto have indicated that they will reach out to the Opposition, seen as a charm offensive to calm the other side that has vowed never to recognise their presidency.
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