Uhuru moves key State agencies to National Treasury

President Uhuru Kenyatta. PHOTO | FILE | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • In another baffling move, Mr Kenyatta appointed several board members, a function that is usually performed by Cabinet secretaries.
  • Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat was made chairman of the Agriculture Development Corporation board.
  • Politicians are some of the beneficiaries in the new appointments.

President Uhuru Kenyatta Friday transferred key corporations under the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry to the National Treasury.

In another baffling move, Mr Kenyatta appointed several board members, a function that is usually performed by Cabinet secretaries.

The President dropped Deputy President William Ruto’s allies, awarding pro-Handshake individuals, notably Building Bridges Initiative social media mouthpiece Pauline Njoroge.

Ms Njoroge is now a board member of the Tourism Regulatory Authority.

The restructuring of government-run corporations seems to have affected the Transport and Agriculture ministries most.

NOTABLE CHANGES

President Kenyatta appointed a number of board members to parastatals under the Agriculture Ministry.

Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat was made chairman of the Agriculture Development Corporation board.

The most notable change was the creation of a giant State company known as the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC), which will run multi billion-shilling public port, railway and pipeline services.

Following the presidential executive order issued Friday, the public port, railway and pipeline services will be under the Kenya Transport and Logistics Network (KTLN).

It brings together the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).

“The four State agencies have been transferred to the National Treasury in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task force on Parastatal Reforms,” a statement from State House said.

“In the new arrangement, the ICDC will act as a holding company to the agencies, and be responsible for the management of the government investments in ports, rail and pipeline services.”

The statement added that the corporations are required to enter into a joint operations agreement in 30 days.

The agreement will reorganise individual entity structures, resources, operations and services.

The President appointed Mr John Ngumi the chairman of the ICDC Board of Directors.

Mr Ngumi will be on the board with the chairpersons of various State-run firms, among them Mr James Bedi (Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency), Mr Richard Kiplagat (Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority), Ms Caroline Musyoka (Business Registration Service), Ms Rita Okuthe (KPC), Mr Joseph Kibwana (KPA), Mr Pastor Awita (Kenya Railways) and Nani Mungai ( Postal Corporation of Kenya).

“The new framework allows for the centralisation and coordination of operations without amending existing laws or causing undue disruption to the legal structuring of the State entities,” the statement went on.

POLITICIANS

Politicians are some of the beneficiaries in the new appointments.

They include former Education assistant minister and Meru governor candidate Kilemi Mwiria (Kenya National Qualifications Authority chairman), former Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Alex ole Magelo (Kenya Leather Development Council board member) and former Kajiado Senator Peter Mositet who is the chairman of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority Board.

Mr Kelvin Musyoka, the son of Wiper Partly head Kalonzo Musyoka is a board member of the Tourism Regulatory Authority.

Mr John Matiang’i, the brother of Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, is a member of the Public Service Superannuation Fund Board of Trustees, while former Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chief executive officer Halake Wako has been made the Universities Fund Board chairman.

The appointments of former Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi, Mr Eliud Sifuna, Mr Mboche Waithaka, Mr Stephen Mutai, Mr Richard Kropp, Ms Gladys Kimamo, Mr Hassan Osman, Mr Martin Ogindo, Mr Paul Chebor, Mr Roba Duba, Mr Peter Chemuigut, Mr David Koros and several others were revoked.