The choice of who will be the Controller of Budget is causing further friction between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and suspended Education minister William Ruto, the Star has established.
On the one hand, Raila wants his preferred candidate, James Aloyo —the chief finance officer in the Ministry of Finance—to be appointed the Controller of Budget. Whoever is appointed will be responsible for approving all withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund to ministries and State agencies.
On the other hand, Ruto is hoping that the current chief executive officer of the National Hospital Insurance Fund Richard Kerich gets the appointment. Kerich is reported to have scored the highest marks during the interviews conducted earlier. He also comes from the South Rift which Ruto and other MPs from the Rift Valley claim has been ignored when it came to top appointments.
Both Aloyo and Kerich were among the 12 candidates shortlisted and interviewed for the job which attracted applications from 157 people.
Aloyo was reportedly listed third by the interview panel which was chaired by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya CEO Carol Kigen and comprised representatives drawn from the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, the Treasury, Attorney General’s office, Public Service and the private sector.
Both Aloyo and Kerich were among the 12 candidates shortlisted and interviewed for the job which attracted applications from 157 people.
Aloyo was reportedly listed third by the interview panel which was chaired by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya CEO Carol Kigen and comprised representatives drawn from the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, the Treasury, Attorney General’s office, Public Service and the private sector.
The final choice of Controller of the Budget was left to Raila during the horse trading that he and President Kibaki have been engaged in as they try to reach agreement on who to appoint to the post as well as the person to succeed Attorney General Amos Wako.
Indications are that the two principals have agreed that Professor Githu Muigai, who is President Kibaki’s preference, will be appointed as AG. In exchange, Raila gets to choose the Controller of Budget.
Indications are that the two principals have agreed that Professor Githu Muigai, who is President Kibaki’s preference, will be appointed as AG. In exchange, Raila gets to choose the Controller of Budget.
Ruto and other Rift Valley MPs who became aware of the plan a few days ago met over the weekend and resolved to ensure that appointments were made on merit and were not part of the horsetrading between the two principals.
They resolved to ensure that Kerich, who is from the South Rift, got the appointment. The MPs who met in Eldoret included Ruto, Joshua Kutunyi (Cheranganyi), David Koech (Mosop), Peris Simam (Eldoret South) and Linah Kilimo (Marakwet East).
Others were minister Samwel Poghisho (Kacheliba), Jackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South) and Asman Kamama (Baringo East).
Others were minister Samwel Poghisho (Kacheliba), Jackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South) and Asman Kamama (Baringo East).
Yesterday Kutunyi said the MPs read mischief in Raila’s intention to overlook Kerich’s appointment and alleged it was part of the PM’s plan to isolate professionals from the region.
They accused Raila of opposing the appointment of Agricultural Development Corporation managing director William Kirwa to the post early in the year.
The unilateral appointments by President Kibaki of Kirwa, Justice Alnashir Visram as Chief Justice, Kioko Kilukumi as Director of Public Prosecutions and Prof Muigai as the AG caused a huge public uproar and condemnation and led to the appointments being revoked.
The process was repeated after consultations with Raila and through competitive, transparent and public interviews, Willy Mutunga was appointed as CJ and Keriako Tobiko as the DPP leaving the AG and Controller of Budget open. Wako’s term is coming to an end on August 27.
“We know he (Raila) has always opposed any appointment of our people from Rift Valley even when they qualify and go through proper vetting or interviews like in this case,” said Kutunyi.
The process was repeated after consultations with Raila and through competitive, transparent and public interviews, Willy Mutunga was appointed as CJ and Keriako Tobiko as the DPP leaving the AG and Controller of Budget open. Wako’s term is coming to an end on August 27.
“We know he (Raila) has always opposed any appointment of our people from Rift Valley even when they qualify and go through proper vetting or interviews like in this case,” said Kutunyi.
The MPs wondered why Raila had allowed Industrialisation acting minister Amason Kingi to sack Joseph Kosgey as the managing director of the Kenya Bureau of Statistics. Kosgey was sacked after it was established that the appointment was irregularly done by sacked Industrialisation minister and close Ruto ally Henry Kosgey.
Belgut MP Charles Keter said the group will consider ways to make their opinions known before the appointments are announced later this week.
Belgut MP Charles Keter said the group will consider ways to make their opinions known before the appointments are announced later this week.
Yesterday elders and ODM leaders from Rift Valley led by Seid Keittanyi asked the PM to ensure Kosgey is reinstated because they fear the frequent sacking of civil servants from Rift Valley by ODM ministers will further dent the party’s waning support in the region.
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This goes to show how we can never get anywhere even when MERIT shows itself right in the face. More importantly it shows who Raila is truly at heart - a tribal chief. How can we expect him to lead Kenyans of all tribal backgrounds if he is this regional? Let us see him demonstrate how he can select a genuine winner over a luo third place winner from the vetted selection process.
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