Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i’s new role in government does not in any way overshadow Deputy President William Ruto, former Kakamega Senator Dr Bonny Khalwale has said.
On Tuesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta through Executive Order No 1 of 2019 appointed Matiang’i to head the National Development Implementation and Communication Committee.
Essentially, Matiang’i will now be in charge of monitoring and coordinating all government projects and reporting directly on the same to the President.
He will be deputized by National Treasury CS Henry Rotich.
His appointment has been perceived by several quarters as a “demotion” for DP Ruto, a notion that Khalwale dispels.
Speaking exclusively to Hivisasa on Wednesday, Khalwale said that Matiang’i’s new role does not overshadow the DP as has been perceived; it only overshadows other Cabinet Secretaries.
“That competition is amongst Cabinet Secretaries,” he stated. “For the avoidance of doubt, Article 147 (4) of the Constitution says that the Deputy President does not hold any other state or public office.”
He added the President was within his purview to make changes to his Cabinet where Matiang’i is tasked with monitoring and coordination of all government projects.
However, the former Kakamega Senator faulted the media for “distorting facts” and making it look like the DP enjoys powers akin to those of a Cabinet Secretary which is not the case.
“What the media is doing is; because you have to sell their papers, they have to bring that up so that people think that the Deputy President is in trouble. He is not!
“The powers of the Deputy President are not given by the President. [They] are given by the Constitution in Article 134 and Article 147, period!” Khalwale remarked.
Matiang’i who has been viewed by political pundits as Uhuru’s Mr-Fix-It will also have the Attorney General Paul Kihara, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua and all other Cabinet Secretaries in his team.
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