Five who will have President’s ear

PHOTO | FILE State House, Nairobi. Following the release of the government’s power structure on Wednesday, the men and women who will have the ears of the President and his deputy can now be revealed.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, May 29  2013 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• The aides played key roles in the election of the Jubilee leaders

Following the release of the government’s power structure on Wednesday, the men and women who will have the ears of the President and his deputy can now be revealed.

Jomo Gecaga

Is the new Chief of Staff and Private Secretary to the President, based at State House.

Besides being the President’s personal assistant for several years, Mr Gecaga is the president’s nephew.

Mr Gecaga was the personal assistant of former Foreign Affairs minister Raphael Tuju during Mr Mwai Kibaki’s first term as president before joining Mr Kenyatta’s staff in the same capacity after the 2007 elections.

In the run-up to this year’s election, he was the overall head of “Team Uhuru” that ran Mr Kenyatta’s presidential campaign.

He was a constant companion of Mr Kenyatta in political campaigns and sensitive strategy meetings.

After the March 4 elections, Mr Gecaga continued playing a key role in the planning of the swearing-in ceremony and the crafting of the Kenyatta-Ruto Cabinet. His appointment to the powerful position, was therefore a foregone conclusion in Mr Kenyatta’s inner circles.

Lawrence Lenayapa

Has been named State House Comptroller.

Mr Lenayapa cut his teeth during the Daniel Moi era when he served as a district commissioner in several parts of the country.

He was among a handful of the Moi-era provincial administrators appointed by former President Kibaki as permanent secretaries in various ministries. In this league were Mr Francis Kimemia, Mr Mutea Iringo, Mr Kenneth Lusaka and Mr Andrew Mondoh among others.

Mr Lenayapa served in the ministries of Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands under minister Mohamed Elmi and the Ministry of Environment under the late John Michuki.

Last year, Mr Lenayapa was embroiled in a dispute with a German investor over a five-acre plot in Loyangalani, Marsabit County.

Among other allegations, the German, Mr Wolfgang Deschler claimed Mr Lenayapa’s development would block his lodge from the ample view of Lake Turkana and that it could be coming up without a National Environment Management Authority’s report and licence.

As the State House Comptroller, Mr Lenayapa will be directly in charge of the President’s diary on a day-to-day basis.

Marianne Kitany

The new Chief of Staff, office of the Deputy President.

A management, information communication and technology expert, Ms Kitany was the IT manager at Kenya Railways before joining the Ruto campaign secretariat in the run-up to the last General Election. She is currently in Mr Ruto’s entourage to Japan.

As the Chief of Staff, Ms Kitany will be responsible for staff acquisition and deployment at the Deputy President’s office. She hails from Keiyo County.

Reuben Maiyo

He is the Private Secretary, Office of the Deputy President.

Mr Maiyo is a long serving personal assistant to the Deputy President. Like Kitany, he was a key player in Mr Ruto’s campaigns in the run-up to the election.

As the Private Secretary, Mr Maiyo will be responsible for Mr Ruto’s diary.

He is from Nandi County.