Uhuru assures Commissions of support in service delivery

President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have pledged to work with all the independent commissions to ensure Kenya’s 30-month-old Constitution is fully implemented in letter and spirit.

Speaking after a meeting with the commissioners and other independent office holders, the two said, their administration “is willing, ready and prepared” to “support” the commissions in doing their job.

“You are independent and we have no intention whatsoever of interfering with your mandate. Ours is to give you support and ensure the budgetary resources required to fulfill your mandates is made available,” Mr Kenyatta told the commissioners.

“Our doors are open to you. If there are any issues, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We will work with you. We will support you in the spirit of recognizing the various mandates that you have and also the mandates that the people of Kenya have given to us,” the President-elect said

Mr Kenyatta asked the commissioners not to go “shouting at one another in the media”, because, doing so, “confuses mwananchi”. He appealed to the commissioners to talk together and ensure that they deliver on their respective jobs.

“We want to assure each and everyone of you of our commitment to work with you to ensure the full implementation of the constitution,” Mr Kenyatta said.

Mr Ruto said the Jubilee administration will make “every effort” to ensure the Constitution is implemented.

“We want it on record, right from the onset, that whatever support constitutional commissions require, we are ready, willing and prepared to engage the commission on their various mandates so that they are able to drive the business of our country,” said Mr Ruto.

Ahead of the constitutional referendum for the Constitution, Mr Ruto had sought to have the document amended before it was approved, and he was among the people who campaigned against the document. After its adoption, he said, he was willing to abide by the Constitution and on Friday told the people who will be implementing it that he will support them.

“All support, moral, logistical and financial support will be made available,” said Mr Ruto.

Attorney General Githu Muigai midwifed the meeting which took place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre on Friday morning.  

The chairman of Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Charles Nyachae, attended the meeting and defended the briefings to the President-elect and the Deputy President-elect.

He said the Assumption of Office of the President Act was very clear that State Officers had a statutory obligation to brief the incoming President on any matter. He said the assertions that the briefings were illegal, was wrong, because, there were penalties for State Officers who refuse to consult the President-elect.

The commissions and independent offices represented at the meeting were: The National Cohesion and Integration Commission; the National Gender and Equality Commission, the Transition Authority, the National Land Commission, the Teachers Service Commission, the Judicial Service commission, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the Public Service Commission, the Commission on Revenue Allocation, the Commission on Administrative Justice, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, and the Controller of Budget.