MANY HATS: Chief of Staff and head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua
The Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua has taken some of the roles that had initially been allocated to the office of the Deputy President William Ruto.
Kinyua is now coordinating both Cabinet Ministers and Principal Secretaries, functions that Ruto used to undertake before Kinyua's appointment. President Kenyatta revealed Kinyua's new role during a meeting of Cabinet and Principal Secretaries at State House last month.The President said Kinyua will, among other things, coordinate Cabinet affairs and Cabinet programmes.
According to article 147 of the Constitution, the Deputy President is the principal assistant to the President and deputises the Head of State in the execution of the President's function.
"The Deputy President shall perform functions conferred to him by the constitution and any other functions of the President as the President may assign," says article 137(2)
Yesterday several cabinet Ministers and Principal secretaries told the Star that they are only implementing decisions given or approved by Kinyua.
"We cannot implement any directive from the Presidency unless it is approved and signed by the President himself or Kinyua," said a Cabinet Minister.
Another Minister known to be close to Ruto complained that although they meet Ruto and brief him on what they are doing, all resolutions reached in meetings with Ruto must be sent to Kinyua for his approval before they are implemented.
Three weeks ago the Star revealed that that the DP's vote had been moved to State House while he was at attending his trial at the Hague.
The moved sparked a flurry of meetings between Ruto, State House controller Lawrence Lenayapa, Chief off Staff in Ruto's office Maryanne Keitanyi and Finance Minister Henry Rotich which resulted in some allocations returned to the DP's office. Ruto's office dismissed the story later as untrue.
Ruto's ally Kericho senator Charles Keter then followed up the loss of budget claims with a demand that some government officials who fixed Ruto at the ICC quit or be fired.
Late last month MPs demanded to know if Kunyua's appointment was legal. Although the Leader of Majority Adan Duale said the appointment was legal, MPs insisted that the appointment was illegal and unprocedural.
The MPs said Kinyua’s role as the boss of all the country’s public servants required that he should be vetted by the National Assembly.
Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso who is Ruto's close ally ordered that the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee to investigate the matter and clear the air on points of law. The Committee is yet to report back on the matter.
Yesterday the Star further learnt that Keter, some TNA MPS and others from URP had now resolved to quietly push for the removal of Ruto's fixers.
The MPs have been holding meetings and plan to ask the President to dismiss the unnamed officials."I can tell you for sure that a section of URP and TNA members are not happy with those who fixed their leaders and are now planing to meet meet both the president and his deputy to push for their sacking. What Keter said is just a tip of the iceberg and that is the position of many of Jubilee members," he said.
Siaya senator James Orengo is expected to name the officials if both Uhuru and Ruto will not fired them this week. “I have given President Kenyatta and William Ruto 10 days to name those who fixed the Deputy President or I do so,” he said in Kisumu last weekend.
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