‘Sibling rivalry’ begins to show in Cabinet

What you need to know:

  • Ms Amina is at loggerheads with Ms Kandie over overlapping ministerial functions.
  • Ms Ngilu has clashed with both Mr Kamau and Mr Lenku over two major Jubilee projects that jointly touch on the two ministries.

Hushed internal squabbles have started emerging among President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cabinet secretaries as they fight to control their dockets and interests, the Sunday Nation can reveal.

Sources said cabinet secretaries at the centre of the squabbles were Ms Amina Mohamed (Foreign Affairs and International Trade), Ms Phyllis Kandie (East Africa Community, Commerce and Tourism), Ms Charity Ngilu (Lands and Housing), Mr Michael Kamau (Transport) and Mr Joseph ole Lenku (Interior and Coordination).

There are also differences regarding the management of crucial cabinet sub-committees owing to suspicion within the Presidency about the interests of certain individuals, especially on matters touching on oil and other energy resources.

Ms Amina is at loggerheads with Ms Kandie over overlapping ministerial functions, while Ms Ngilu has clashed with both Mr Kamau and Mr Lenku over two major Jubilee projects that jointly touch on the two ministries.

However, those interviewed on Saturday were quick to dismiss rumours of tension within the Cabinet, saying members were working harmoniously to deliver on the pledges of the Jubilee government to Kenyans.

Mining Secretary Najib Balala said while there could be “one or two small” differences, the current Cabinet was working cordially compared to that of the Grand Coalition government.

“There could be one or two small things but not to the extent of causing tension like it was during the Grand Coalition Cabinet. We are all pulling together,” he said by phone.

He added there are cabinet secretaries who work closely because of the nature of their dockets or because of their relationship.

“For instance, I am close to Charity (Ngilu) because we have a history in politics,” he said.

DEMARCATION OF DOCKETS

Top government officials in the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Ms Kandie’s East African Community and Tourism said differences have erupted between the two cabinet secretaries over the demarcation of their dockets.

It is understood that Ms Kandie has complained that Ms Mohamed has been encroaching on her ministry in relation to trade within the East African Community.

But Ms Mohammed denied any tension between her and Ms Kandie insisting that they get along quiet well.

“I don’t seem to picture a situation where we have clashed. We are in talking terms, and we work very closely,” she said.

But government officials confirmed the two have clashed over the functions of their ministries, prompting a meeting for them to agree on each other’s dockets.

“There was a small misunderstanding between the two over clashing functions. But the matter has now been resolved. In fact, the two met and discussed the issues,” our source revealed.

Ms Mohamed’s docket handles the country’s foreign policy, management of bilateral and multilateral relations, liaison with international and regional organisations and international trade, according to Executive Order No 2, 2013.

And Ms Kandie, whose docket largely deals with regional affairs, presides over trade and development policies, fair trade practices, policy on EAC and coordination of regional integration, among others.

DIFFERED OVER COMPENSATION LIST

Mr Kamau and Ms Ngilu have differed over the list of people to be compensated for land acquired by the government for the construction of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) project; the construction of three berths of the planned Lamu port is ready for implementation.

Mr Kamau had requested the Treasury compensate land owners from funds available for construction to allow work to begin.

But Ms Ngilu is said to have differed sharply with Mr Kamau in a meeting on September 3 over the compensation after it emerged that there were two lists of beneficiaries.

However, Ms Ngilu said she raised a few concerns which have now been looked into and that there is no wedge between them.

“We realised we have two lists of those claiming compensation in the Lapsset project. My suggestion was that we needed to carry out the exercise afresh, and we agreed on a list of 58,” Ms Ngilu said.

Mr Lenku is also said to be unhappy with the way Ms Ngilu is handling a housing project for police officers which falls within his docket.

An official at his office on Saturday confirmed that the two secretaries disagreed about the management of the project, which Ms Ngilu wants supervised entirely by her ministry.

But Mr Lenku declined to comment on the matter when the Sunday Nation contacted him on Saturday.

Some of the ministers involved in clashes are said to have sought the intervention of Deputy President William Ruto, but on Saturday his spokesman David Mugonyi denied his boss has been handling cases of squabbling secretaries.

“If there has been something like that, then the involved individuals would report it to the appointing authority, not to the DP. We have not heard anything like that,” he said.