Anxiety continues to grip senior politicians and top civil servants as the country waits for a new Cabinet line-up set to be unveiled on Tuesday.
Intense lobbying, jostling and angling for top positions in the Grand Coalition Government continues in all political parties.
But the final list of the much-awaited Cabinet remains a guarded secret with the two principals, President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister-designate, Mr Raila Odinga believed to be working on the fine details. A publicised meeting between Kibaki and Raila scheduled for Friday, to announce the latter as the country’s second PM, was put off at the last minute.
State House sources said this was to "fine tune" the final Cabinet line-up.
Investigations by The Saturday Standard and interviews with some of the main players revealed behind-the-scenes games, loyalty pledges and canvassing at various levels of the main parties – Party of National Unity, ODM, ODM-Kenya and Kanu. Smaller parties in the coalition are also caught up in the power games, with demands that they should also be considered.
In the President’s PNU, youthful Members of Parliament were mounting pressure on Kibaki to reserve Cabinet positions for them.
But the MPs, who declined to be named for fear of jeopardising their chances, wondered how the President would accommodate them, having filled the 17 slots reserved for his side with old ‘grey-haired’ lieutenants. "We are waiting to see what the President will do. He has already exhausted his slots yet he did not appoint any youth. The remaining slots would go to ODM unless he expands the Cabinet,’’ the MP said.
Last evening, senior ODM leaders including— deputy Prime Minister-designate Mr Musalia Mudavadi — retreated to Mombasa for the Easter Holidays and also to ease pressure from MPs and supporters lobbying for positions.
Anxious moments also gripped ODM-Kenya MPs over who would join the new Cabinet.
Among the names being floated as possible ministers include party Secretary-General, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, Mr David Musila (Mwingi South), Mr Gideon Ndambuki (Kaiti) and Prof Philip Kaloki (Kibwezi).
However, the party expects only two more ministers with Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Kacheliba MP Mr Samuel Poghisio already in Cabinet.
Kalonzo holds the Home Affairs portfolio, while Poghisio has the Information and Communication docket.
Sources said PNU hardliners have proposed that the current 17 ministries be spared a reshuffle and that ODM should take the remaining slots.
The sources added that tribal balancing and regional representation were the key determinants.
ODM is reportedly focused on the 2012 General Election, not just sharing of slots in the new Government.
On Thursday evening, ODM top brass held a lengthy meeting-cum-party at the Nairobi home of Raila’s brother, Dr Oburu Odinga, on those to be included in the Cabinet.
Raila, Pentagon member, Mr William Ruto, Mr Chris Okemo, Mr Wycliffe Oparanya, Mr George Khaniri and Oburu himself were in the meeting.
Sources said the invitations were done selectively.
After Kibaki was sworn-in in early January, he named half of his Cabinet and appointed 17 ministers into various portfolios.
They include Defence, Treasury, Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Communication and Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Special Programmes, Roads and Public Works and Transport.
The PNU side already has Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs, Kalonzo, and Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Prof George Saitoti.
The party also has powerful portfolios such as the Ministry for Finance under Mr Amos Kimunya, Ministry of Education through Prof Sam Ongeri, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Mr Moses Wetangula.
Other powerful positions under PNU are Ministry of Local Government where Kanu Chairman Mr Uhuru Kenyatta is the boss and Ministry for Information and Communications under ODM-Kenya chairman, Poghisio.
Mr John Munyes is the Minister for Water and Irrigation while Mr Kiraitu Murungi is Minister for Energy.
The Ministry of Roads and Public Works is led by Mr John Michuki while Mr Noah Wekesa is the Minister for Science and Technology.
Ms Martha Karua holds the Justice and Constitutional Affairs portfolio while Kuria MP, Dr Wilfred Machage is Minister for East African Community. The Transport docket is under Matuga MP, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere.
The remaining ministries include Health, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Planning and National Development, Tourism and Wildlife, Livestock and Fisheries Development, Labour and Human Resource Development, Cooperative Development and Marketing, Environment and Natural Resources, and Gender Sports, Culture and Social Services.
Only Mudavadi appeared to be certain of making it to the new Cabinet line-up on the ODM side.
Sources at State House intimated that the new Cabinet would be unveiled on Tuesday and would reflect the principles of the power-sharing deal.
The new Government is also expected to announce fresh appointments in the civil service, parastatal bodies and diplomatic postings.
Sources in PNU said some ministers might be dropped in the new line-up since regions such as Embu have no representative in the current Cabinet.
MPs from Meru are on record demanding two more appointments after the one held by Kiraitu.
They have written to the President, saying because of the more than 500,000 votes they gave him during the General Election, they deserve three Cabinet slots.
Igembe South MP, Mr Mithika Linturi confirmed that they had written to the President urging him to reciprocate their support.
The new position of deputy Prime Minister for PNU is another office being hotly contested.
Names of Uhuru, Karua, Dr Naomi Shabaan, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere and Mr Yusuf Haji have featured on the list. But Uhuru and Karua are considered the front-runners but their competitors argue that they hail from Mt Kenya region where the President also comes from.
Those fronting for regional balancing are rooting for a deputy PM from either North Eastern or
Coast provinces. Mwakwere and Shabaan come from Coast while Haji hails from North Eastern.
Karua leads the Government negotiating team and is being backed by her party, Narc-Kenya, which says she has the right credentials apart from being a woman.
She has also received support from the women movement and sections of the civil society.Uhuru is being backed by his party, Kanu, which claims to be a major partner in PNU. MPs from the larger Kiambu and Thika districts are also backing Uhuru.
In ODM-Kenya, Mutula is being supported for a ministerial slot due to his participation in the mediation talks. Mutula is said to be in good books with both President Kibaki and Prime Minister –designate Raila.
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SUNDAY STANDARD
Story by David Ohito, Joseph Murimi And Mutinda Mwanzia
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