PHOTO | PMPS Prime Minister Raila Odinga on a tractor during a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Ndori-Ng’iya road in Siaya County on Thursday.
By NATION TEAM, newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, September 16 2010 at 20:15
It is too early to say whether the Provincial Administration officials will stay or be sacked, Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said.
Counties were not yet operational, he said on Thursday, adding that even when they become a reality, the Provincial Administration would be restructured to conform to the new system of governance.
“The Provincial Administration is going to be restructured and that does not mean they will lose their jobs,” the PM said.
“The chiefs, DCs and PCs will be absorbed within the government as we are waiting for the new county Acts to be put in place,” he added.
Cabinet ministers have of late differed over the fate of the Provincial Administration, which was hinged on eight provinces as centres of administration with links to the central government. But the new constitutional order now creates 47 counties, which will have their elected leaders and administration to run affairs.
Mr Odinga spoke in Rarieda District when he commissioned the construction of Ndori-Ng’iya and Bondo-Misori roads. He warned leaders against making statements that were likely to breach the peaceful coexistence of the people of Kenya.
“There is nowhere stated that the Provincial Administration will be abolished as claimed by a section of some leaders; their utterances might lead to creation of animosity between the people and the provincial administrators,” Mr Raila said.
He assured the public that the coalition government was committed to implementing the new Constitution within the shortest time possible.“We, as the government, do not have problems with the implementation of the new Constitution. What we are asking is for the people to be tolerant and give us time to deliver,” the PM said.
Mr Odinga was accompanied by Roads minister Franklin Bett, Finance assistant minister Oburu Oginga and MPs Edwin Yinda (Alego-Usonga) and Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda).
Mr Bett said he was excited that the Kalenjins have started praising the new laws after realising that they would benefit them.
“I wonder why the Kalenjins did not realise the usefulness of this constitution earlier,” Mr Bett added.
Mr Odinga said the improvement of roads was key if Kenyans are to benefit from the East African regional market. He said the government had put in place an elaborate programme to improve major roads in the country, arguing that the coalition government had spread the projects nationally.
“Under past regimes, it took leaders to boot-lick the President to be given what otherwise is their share of tax, but the coalition government has distributed the projects well”.
The PM added that all the bad roads in the country would receive a facelift, saying that all that was needed was patience.
The Ndori-Ng’iya road cuts through Kogelo Village, the home of US President Barack Obama’s relatives.
Reported by Eric Oloo, Stella Cherono and Valentine Obara
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