Through a memorandum issued on Wednesday, the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Masika Wetangula stated that Parliament does not have the authority to approve the list of 50 Chief Administrative Secretary nominees proposed by President William Ruto.
Moses Masika Wetangula.
If Parliament was to indulge in the exercise the Speaker stated it will be participating in the promulgation of constitutional illegality since the position of Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) does not exist in law.
The Constitution of Kenya mandates the appointment of 22 Ministers or Cabinet Secretaries. Ruto’s predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta created the CAS portfolio to award political cronies. Dr. Ruto has virtually doubled the number of appointees to the inexistent Government position.
According to his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, the bloated number was necessitated by the economy which they inherited in a sorry state hence the need for a large team, ostensibly to move abroad soliciting aid as the Cabinet Secretaries man the office.
Meanwhile, State House Hussein Mohamed reacting to the Speaker’s rejection of Dr. Ruto’s list said the 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries are now officially appointed citing grounds that give the president a free hand in state appointments.
On Tuesday the Cabinet approved a Bill that by-passes Parliament in debating the Privatization of Government entities.
The move by Wetangula coming barely hours following the Cabinet ratification of the Privatization Bill 2023 is seen in certain quarters as an effort by Parliament to reassert its integrity.
