By Stephen Makabila              

In 2008, former President Kibaki introduced ‘special presidential advisors’ who were paid from public coffers.

Kibaki appointed former Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju and former Lands Minister Kivutha Kibwana to the Office of the President as his special advisors.
Mr Tuju was to advise the Government on ethnic relations and media, while Prof Kibwana (currently the Governor of Makueni County) was to assist in constitutional matters.

While Tuju later resigned to contest the presidency, Kibwana also threw his hat in the ring for Makueni County governor seat and won. The duo was never replaced after quitting.

Kibaki also had a private secretary based at State House, Prof Nick Wanjohi.

Will President Uhuru Kenyatta also appoint senior advisors in some fields, besides Cabinet Secretaries?

Already, there are reports Uhuru was keen on having a political advisor and a legal advisor, with some names of those to occupy the slots already being flouted.

Among the names is that of lawyer Jasper Mbiuki, who has been a TNA lawyer, with reports indicating he could land in State House as the President’s legal advisor, once the Government takes shape. A former PA to President Kibaki is said to be a likely appointee to the position of Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs.

There are also reports of a position of Press Secretary based at State House being created, to be independent from the Presidential Press Services, usually under a director.

But what is the role of presidential advisors in a developing country like Kenya and what value did Tuju and Kibwana add to the Kibaki administration?

Prof Munene Macharia of the United States International University-Kenya says briefings by advisors to any President are usually a private affair and it may not be easy to judge whether the duo added any value to the administration.

But Macharia, a professor of History and International Relations, argues that it will be perfectly in order for Uhuru to have advisors outside the Cabinet, for confidential and credible briefings on crucial matters, where he can then make his mind whether to take such counsel.

Roles

“Ministries are broad-based. He needs some people to sensitise and synchronise information for his understanding and make up his mind for the interest of the country. Such roles cannot clash with the role of cabinet secretaries in any way,” added Macharia.

Lawyer Titus Bittok of Moi University argues such positions may help improve the quality of decisions made by the regime.

“The aim of having advisors is to improve quality of decisions and if President Uhuru appoints some, it only demonstrates he cares for this country,” added Mr Bittok, an Advocate of the High Court.

In the United States, for example, senior advisor describes positions within the White House.

There was one exception to the rule when Karl Rove was appointed to a unique and formal position of senior advisor under President George W Bush. Nevertheless, all the other administrations have used the term to describe various roles.

Two senior advisors were appointed when President Obama was inaugurated in his first term in office. The National Security Advisor, officially known as the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, for example, serves as a chief advisor to the President of the US on national security issues.

The National Security Advisor serves on the National Security Council and is assisted by staff that produces research, briefings, and intelligence reports. The National Security Advisor’s office is at the White House.

When Tuju and Kibwana were   appointed, the then Government spokesman Alfred Mutua (currently the Governor of Machakos county) said the appointments followed issues arising after the disputed 2007 General Election. The two leaders were employed on contract and operated from the Office of the President.

If Uhuru goes the same way to appoint some advisors, it remains to be seen whether the number would be limited, or expanded to cover areas such as an economic advisor and foreign relations advisor.

But outside the realms of official advisors, made public by the president, there are those who feel former presidents depended more on informal advisors who yielded massive powers than those employed formally.

Power brokers

“Right from the Kenyatta regime, to Moi and Kibaki, there were informal power brokers whose advice carried weight than any other.  We may not rule out the same under the Uhuru regime,” says Martin Mulwale of Maseno University.

Some of the powerful power brokers during the Kenyatta regime included the late Mbiyu Koinange, Njoroge Mungai and then Attorney General Charles Njonjo.

The Moi regime had powerful forces such as former Cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott. Kibaki had the likes of the late John Michuki and the late Njenga Karume.