Some of the people to watch this year

Mr Raila Odinga

The Prime Minister in the Grand Coalition Government, Mr Odinga has his foot on the peddle of reforms that the current administration has to implement.

Although the official protocol is yet to define the level of Mr Odinga’s position in Government, the National Accord places him at a parallel level with President Kibaki.

And in making decisions and appointments on matters that were classified under Agenda No 4 in the National Accord, the President is required to consult the PM.

This means that Mr Odinga will play a defining role in constitutional review, the electoral reforms, the setting up of the Special Tribunal for Kenya, and the performance of the Government and the economy.

He worked closely with the President to push MPs to pass the Bill that dissolved the Electoral Commission of Kenya and replaced it with the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) in addition to providing for the replacement of the current Constitution.

The PM will also sit with the President to pick the members of the committee of experts on the review process, the members of the IIEC, the chairman of the Trial and Appeal chambers of the Special Tribunal, and members of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission. His word will carry weight in the process of healing post-election wounds and reconciling the nation.

Mr Odinga is also in the driving seat of delivery of services to the public given that his docket involves supervision of ministries.
More important is the political role he will play as ODM leader who is expected to seek the Presidency in 2012.

Bernard Namunane

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Ms Martha Karua

As Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs minister, Ms Martha Karua holds the unenviable position at the heart of the Grand Coalition Government.

The rationale for the formation of the Grand Coalition was to provide for a period during which reforms would be enacted to avoid the country sliding back into the abyss.

Ms Karua presides over the implementation of the reforms that were outlined in the National Accord, among them a new constitution.

Just before Parliament went on recess, the Justice minister faced the first task of pushing through a Bill that dissolved the ECK.

The ministry will determine the pace of the review; it has already worked on the time-table for the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Kenya; and implementation of reports of commissions set up after the post-poll violence.

Bringing to justice suspects of post-election violence will be determined by the decisions Ms Karua makes.

Bernard Namunane

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Mr William Ruto

Agriculture minister William Ruto will determine the relationship between the public and the Grand Coalition Government this year.

At Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s victory party in Kibera, irate residents turned the ODM slogan of chungwa (orange) to unga (flour) as they expressed anger at their Government for allowing the price of flour to shoot up to Sh120.

As students of elementary economics will say, Mr Ruto holds the economy of this country in his hands. The decisions he makes can either make the Government the pride of citizens or enemy.

Bernard Namunane

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Mr Kiraitu Murungi

The country will be looking up to Energy minister Murugi to contain the high energy prices that gripped the country last year.

The minister has promised to bring back price controls in the oil industry starting this month as the government moves to contain consumer exploitation.

Petroleum prices skyrocketed by more than 50 per cent during the second quarter of 2008 and only came down in November after the Government issued the threat to control prices.

The Government has, however, said the concessions by the oil-marketing firms do not correspond to falling price of crude oil globally.

Petroleum products in the country have stayed above Sh75 per litre while the Government says they should cost at least Sh52 per litre.

Oliver Mathenge
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Mr Kenneth Marende

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende is expected to ensure that MPs debate various house matters in an objective and fair manner.

The speaker believes the 10th Parliament could go down in history as the most hardworking, recently commending MPs for passing 17 pieces of legislation by the time they broke for Christmas.

Most Kenyans will however, be watching if Mr Marende, also chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) can come up with ways to convince MPs to review their salaries and allow taxation of their allowances. He has already set up a tribunal to look into the issue.

Oliver Mathenge

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Mr Amos Wako

Expectations will be high on Attorney General Wako to deliver on various legal issues that will contribute to reforms.

Key among the expectation is the institutionalisation of the Witness Protection Programme seen as important as the country prepares to set up a tribunal to try post-election violence suspects.

The AG will also be expected to offer guidelines on the establishment of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission and the Ethnic and Race Relations Commission.

Kenya already has a Witness Protection Act but the AG’s office is yet to roll out a programme to offer safety for key witnesses, even after the Government set aside Sh20 million for the programme in this year’s budget.
On Wednesday, NGOs called for the sacking of the AG, saying he was inefficient. This, the lobby groups said, had led to the State losing numerous and crucial cases in court.

Oliver Mathenge

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Mr Mohammed Abdikadir

The success of the envisioned constitutional review and electoral reform processes lies heavily on the shoulders of Mandera Central MP Mohammed Abdikadir. The Safina legislator chairs the key Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution.

Attaining a new constitution, which has remained elusive for the last two decades, will largely depend on how Mr Abdikadir leads his team, which will appoint six of the nine experts that will draft the new constitution.

The select committee will study the draft constitution and table a report in Parliament for its adoption before it is put to a referendum.

So far, Mr Abdikadir has delivered on some of the pledges he made after beating Agriculture minister William Ruto to the position late last year.

Last week, the committee advertised for human resource firms to bid for the job of hunting for the six experts. The Panel of Eminent Persons chaired by Dr Kofi Annan will select the three other experts.

Mr Abdikadir’s team will also nominate nine commissioners to the Interim Independent Electoral Commission which will replace the Electoral Commission of Kenya.

Oliver Mathenge

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Ms Stella Kilonzo

Investors in equity markets will be keenly looking at how Ms Kilonzo, the chief executive of the Capital Markets Authority, will handle her docket.

With a template on reforms in the capital markets, she will be steering on a path that should bring back investor confidence.

Her proposals on reforming the management of brokerage and investment banks, reducing owner influence on management and increasing capitalisations are now law, following the passage of the Finance Bill 2008, and pundits will be watching how she implements these rules.

To pre-empt what the market will be getting from her Ms Kilonzo has given notice on the need to change how the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) operates to a more advanced and proactive approach.

Investors with collapsed brokerage firms Nyaga Stock Brokers and Discount Securities Ltd, will be looking up to her for the way forward regarding their investments.

A report on the fate of Discount Securities, which handles investments worth billions of shillings for the National Social Security Fund is eagerly awaited.

Joseph Bonyo

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Mr Barack Obama

Even though he pledges his loyalty first and foremost to the American voter, US President-elect Barack Obama has shown that his father’s country is close to his heart.

He has spoken of the endemic corruption and the spread of HIV/Aids in Kenya and made some proposals on how the Government can tackle these.

Even though the US President does not have the leeway to make unilateral decisions, the policies he will adopt towards Africa and especially Kenya will determine the pace of economic growth in the country. This includes opening the US market to Kenyan goods and forging closer ties between the two nations.

More critical, however, will be the position he takes on the policies of the Grand Coalition Government. It is expected that the Obama presidency will inspire the Government to make decisions that cater for the welfare of Kenyans.

Bernard Namunane

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Mr Peter Mwangi

After two months of orientation as CEO of the Nairobi Stock Exchange, Mr Mwangi has his work cut out for him. Assuming office at a time when investor appetite is at its lowest point, the spotlight will be on him and how he plans to restores the bourse’s glory.

From a conspiracy of events throughout the year, the market was hit by panic selling as investors sold their shares to meet other pressing financial obligations.

The challenge lies with Mr Mwangi, hitherto managing director of Centum Investments, to achieve the milestone. Also in his in tray is the bourse demutualisation.

Joseph Bonyo

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Mr Kofi Annan: Former UN secretary general

Some public service vehicles, schools, children and buildings now bear the name of Kofi Annan, after he brought together President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to end two months of post-election violence early last year.

The National Accord that he midwifed gave him a say in reforms that the Coalition Government is tasked to enact.

This is demonstrated by last month’s decision by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga to sign an agreement for the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Kenya, lest Mr Annan hand over the secret Waki list of perpetrators of the violence to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands.

The positions that Mr Annan takes on the pace of reforms, administration of justice to victims of the violence and holding together of the Government will greatly shape the country’s events this year.

Bernard Namunane

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Sports

If you thought 2008 was the most successful year in Kenyan sport with an immaculate showing at the Olympic Games, then 2009 has more to offer.

This year is, beyond doubt, the most important in the country’s sport, with the build-up to the 2010 football World Cup reaching a crescendo and Kenya hoping to make a huge impression at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August.

The Harambee Stars have already regrouped and are currently seeking to reclaim the East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup in Uganda, having last won the regional title in 2002.

More lies in wait as the national football team bids for a ticket to next year’s World Cup in South Africa and the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Besides the Stars, Kenya will stay in the limelight in athletics with Olympic 800 metres champion Pamela Jelimo and the men’s marathon champion from the Beijing Games, Samuel Kamau Wanjiru, destined for greater things.

Wanjiru has already indicated that he will lower the marathon world record currently held by the indefatigable Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie.

This could come in April at the London Marathon.

Jelimo’s star will continue to shine as she goes for the long-standing world record in the 800 metres set way back in 1983 by Czech girl Jarmila Kratochvilova.

Jelimo currently holds the world junior record and only the faint hearted can bet against her erasing the senior world mark.

Elias Makori