Kuria says prime minister and his deputies will help foster inclusivity

What you need to know:

  • He proposes that the cabinet should be chaired by the president, who is overall head of the government, with a deputy president as is the current situation.

  • MP says the post of prime minister and his deputies will help foster inclusivity in the country

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has gone against the Jubilee Party line and made his own contribution to the Building Bridges Initiative, where he has called for the creation of the post of prime minister.

The outspoken MP who presented his memorandum on Friday said he was not concerned what the party will propose.

“I made the proposals as an individual, at the end of the day, it’s not the party or any organisation, but people of Kenya will have the final say,” he said.

Jubilee is still consulting on what it will present to the Building Bridges Initiative.

He proposes that the cabinet should be chaired by the president, who is overall head of the government, with a deputy president as is the current situation.

“A prime minister who may vie as a member of the National Assembly and who, if not be elected, will automatically become a nominated member of the National Assembly if the president wins. The deputy prime minister who may vie as a member of the National Assembly and who, if not be elected, will automatically become a nominated member of the National Assembly if the president wins. The second deputy prime minister who may vie as a member of the Senate and who, if not be elected, will automatically become a nominated member of the Senate if the president wins,” reads excerpts of his memorandum.

He argues that current presidential system is structured in a “sharp pyramidical structure” that comprises only of two senior executive members at the top tier of leadership; the president and the deputy president.

EFFECTIVE OPPOSTION

“While this system may be ideal in a homogenous society, it contributes to feelings of exclusion in diverse societies like Kenya. It is, therefore, critical that the Kenya’s executive framework is expanded to allow for more inclusion,” notes Mr Kuria.

He says each party shall have a team of five joint ticket such that voters will know beforehand who will be in what position. To create an effective opposition he proposes, the first runners up in the presidential election will be an automatic nominated Member of the National Assembly and shall occupy the office of the Leader of the Official Opposition.

He proposes removal of nominated MCAs, Woman Representative, nominated senators and calls for “only nine nominated members of the National Assembly, three representing persons with disabilities, three representing the youth and three representing women.”

In a radical move Mr Kuria proposes the senator of a county to be automatic speaker of the county assembly and therefore senate should be sitting for a week in Nairobi before senators take up their duties the rest of the month in their counties.