Aden Duale in the company of President Kenyatta and his deputy Wiliam Ruto. He has sparked a debate over vetting of Cabinet Secretaries. [Photo/Kenyans.co.ke]
Majority leader Aden Duale has sparked a debate on the vetting of Cabinet Secretaries who were retained by President Kenyatta.
According to Duale, there is no point of vetting the ministers that were retained when President Kenyatta named his partial cabinet last week on Friday.
Duale insists the Constitution gave the President the power to reassign a Cabinet secretary and did not fix a term limit, meaning that those retained continue working without reaffirming their allegiance to the country and their jobs.
“From this reading, it becomes apparent that upon approval for appointment by the House, a Cabinet secretary serves at the pleasure of the President unless he or she resigns or is dismissed, He or she may also be reassigned within the Cabinet,” the Majority Leader said as quoted by the Nation.
The Garissa Township MP further says their (parliamentary) approval was meant to serve anywhere in the cabinet and not in a particular portfolio.
“As such, reassignment to a different portfolio does not change the nature and functions of the office of a Cabinet secretary hence discounting any need for fresh approval.
“Indeed, a close reading of Article 152 reveals that the term of office of a Cabinet secretary is not attached to either the term of a President, the term of Parliament, or a particular portfolio,” he said.
His comments have however kicked a storm, with NASA leaders saying all the cabinet secretaries must be vetted.