EQUAL TO THE TASK

Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei on Friday said she merits her new job, and it should not be viewed as a reward for loyalty to Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

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Speaking in her Jogoo House office in Nairobi, she said reshuffles were normal in governments the world over and urged Kenyans not to read too much in to the Cabinet changes by President Kibaki and the PM on Wednesday.

“I believe I am equal to the task and just as good as the next man,” said Dr Kosgei, referring to Agriculture, one of the core ministries in Kenya.

She is familiar with the ministry, she pointed out, as it is she who restructured it by reducing the number of parastatals under it from 49 to 29 when she was the head of the civil service.

Reward for loyalty

On claims that her transfer from Higher Education to Agriculture was a reward for loyalty to Mr Odinga, the Aldai MP said she did not want to be drawn into the perceived war between Mr Odinga and Higher Education minister William Ruto.

“Having been in the civil service for more than 20 years, when I was appointed minister for Higher Education, I gladly took up the responsibility because all ministries are equal,” she said.

Dr Kosgei has broken ranks with Mr Ruto, one of the party deputies, after working together in the 2007 General Election. She explained that she was one of the Rift Valley leaders who supported Mr Odinga’s bid for the presidency in 2007, when some Kenyans were still sceptical.

She reiterated that she is in the Yes team, which supports the draft constitution.

Lectures’ union

In another development, a lecturers union welcomed the appointment of Mr Ruto as the Higher Education minister, as the Environment assistant minister Jackson Kiptanui asked Kenyans not to read too much in the reshuffle.

He said it was the prerogative of the President and the PM to hire and fire government officials, under the peace accord signed by ODM and PNU in early 2008.

Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu ) organising secretary Musalia Edebe told journalists that his organisation would like to correct the impression that Mr Ruto has been dumped. There was no way the ministry, which deals with academics could be called a dumping ground, he said.