Kibaki, Raila weigh options ahead of mini-Cabinet reshuffle

The deaths of Internal Security minister George Saitoti and his assistant Orwa Ojode a fortnight ago have piled pressure on President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to fill vacant Cabinet positions.

Coming only weeks after the resignation of former Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi, the deaths have exposed the crucial nature of the dockets hence increasing pressure on the two principals to move fast and fill them.

Sources within the grand coalition intimated to the Sunday Nation that the two principals had opened discussions with a view to filling the vacant positions and are likely to make a mini reshuffle soon.

What makes the need to fill the vacancies urgent, according to a senior ODM Cabinet minister, is the fact that with the deaths of Prof Saitoti and Mr Ojode, the Internal Security ministry has been left without its substantive leadership given that even the Permanent Secretary, Mr Mutea Iringo, is in an acting capacity.

The Local Government ministry is also being run by an acting minister – Regional Development minister Fred Gumo – at a time when it needs a substantive minister to champion implementation of the devolved government ahead of the General Election.

“It is vital that the President and the Prime Minister fill these positions fast because both the Internal Security and Local Government dockets are very important.

“Besides dealing with security matters, the minister for Internal Security is the chair of the Cabinet sub-committee on ICC and his absence may send the wrong signals to the court that we are not committed to co-operating with it,” said the Cabinet minister who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the Cabinet.

The minister, however, hinted that the ODM side had already settled on names of possible replacements for Mr Mudavadi and Mr Ojode.

“On our part we are ready. Our only concern is that the President may want to fill the Internal Security docket alone while the PM’s wish is that all the vacant positions be filled at once,” he stated.

Political analysts agreed on the urgency in filling the vacant positions. “The two principals will have to fill these positions, especially the Internal Security docket, as a matter of urgency because of the prevailing state of security in the country.

“At such times as these the voice of the minister is taken by Kenyans as the voice of the government,” said Masinde Muliro University lecturer Prof Egara Kabaji.

Equally crucial

Moi University law lecturer Kipchumba Murkomen added: “The Internal Security ministry cannot stay for long without a substantive minister ...

“The Local Government ministry is equally crucial particularly in the implementation of the devolved government. It is therefore a possibility that in the coming week the two principals will have to fill the positions.”

Another Cabinet post that has remained vacant is that of the minister for Industrialisation. East African Community minister Amason Kingi has been holding the position in an acting capacity since the minister, Henry Kosgey, stepped down after he was charged with abuse of office.

Whether Mr Odinga will use the impending Cabinet reshuffle to fill the portfolio will depend on how Mr Kosgey will respond to such a move.

When Mr Mudavadi defected, Mr Gumo was appointed in an acting capacity. His appointment came amid pressure, especially from leaders from western Kenya, for Mr Odinga to replace Mr Mudavadi with an MP from the region.

Among those who had been touted as possible candidates for the vacant position were Planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya and assistant minister Alfred Khang’ati. The others were MPs Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i), Alfred Sambu (Webuye) and Wilbur Otichillo (Emuhaya).

It is not clear why Mr Odinga did not appoint a replacement for Mr Mudavadi immediately, though observers say he might have wanted to avoid complaints like the ones raised by Mombasa politicians when he replaced then Tourism minister Najib Balala with an MP from Voi, Mr Dan Mwazo.

They wanted an MP from Mombasa to replace him. Mr Odinga will also have to make similar considerations when finding a replacement for Mr Ojode who hailed from South Nyanza.

On the other side of the coalition, President Kibaki will also be burning the midnight oil to identify a replacement for Prof Saitoti.

Although Defence minister Yusuf Haji is holding the position in an acting capacity, the President will soon have to appoint a substantive minister.

The Head of State has also not appointed a head of civil service and secretary to the Cabinet since Mr Francis Muthaura left early in the year. Mr Francis Kimemia is acting head of civil service.

Lobbying for the vacant seats on the PNU side of the coalition is said to be in top gear with politicians and power brokers operating behind the scenes in President Kibaki’s succession power games.

Reports also indicate that the principals will take advantage of the changes to position themselves for the General Election and that the changes are likely to affect permanent secretaries besides ministers and assistant ministers.