Time for Kimunya to buckle up in Michuki seat and drive reform

Posted Thursday, August 19 2010 at 19:29

One is the tough-talking, uncompromising, no-nonsense DC-type administrator who approaches issues with vigour and one intention: to succeed.

The other is an urbane, diplomatic, soft-spoken man typifying the golf club fraternity. John Michuki and Amos Kimunya are all senior members of the government, but their style of operation is considered different by many.

Michuki Rules

Mr Michuki won plaudits of Kenyans when, as President Kibaki’s first Transport minister, he brought sanity to the matatu sector by effecting the famous Michuki Rules. He did this by remaining steadfast in his resolve to tame the once rogue matatu sector.

The rules required all matatus and buses carrying passengers to instal speed governors, tools that limit the speed of public service vehicles to 80 kilometres per hour. Michuki Rules further required matatu owners to fit safety belts, and spot a yellow line all round across the middle.

At the same time, the rules made it mandatory for the matatu operators to have uniforms and a clear identification photograph for the driver, displayed prominently for all passengers to see, and possibly identify to police in case of misconduct.

And talking of misbehaviour, the crews were also supposed to have certificates of good conduct issued by the Criminal Investigation Department since the sector had been infiltrated by gangs. The tough rules required vehicles then carrying 18 passengers not to exceed 14, including the conductor.

Arbitrary increases in fares were also abolished. Matatus would go on strike, and passengers would opt to walk to work in support of the new rules, and a starved matatu sector would promptly return to the road, humbled

When Mr Michuki moved from the Transport ministry, many of the rules were ignored, and it was back to business as usual, due to what was perceived as the less than enthusiastic support of the rules by his successor, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

Mr Kimunya on the other hand is considered more comfortable with boardroom style management, which perhaps explains why his colleagues in the House put him to task. On Thursday, MPs asked him to adopt a bit of Mr Michuki’s toughness, shed his boardroom mien, roll up his sleeves and once again return sanity to matatus.

Speaking in Parliament, they asked Mr Kimunya to enforce the rules and act on the road carnage that shot up soon after the rules were watered down, and continues to claim lives daily.

MPs scrutinising the Transport ministry’s Budget also asked the minister to speed up works on airports and the railway network, as well as negotiate afresh, the deal on the Rift Valley Railways running of freight until 2025 and passenger services until 2012.

Mr Kimunya revealed the ministry had asked for Sh41 billion, but was allocated only Sh11.6 billion, hence it would reschedule some projects.

Projects earmarked this year are the Isiolo Airport at a cost of Sh380 million, the expansion of Kisumu Airport at Sh600 million and the dredging a new port site at the Coast, at Sh250 million.