By Stephen Makabila 

NAIROBI, KENYA: Political parties that signed post-election agreements with the Jubilee coalition could be restless following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s move to release names of 16 out of his 18 nominees for the Cabinet.

The question remains; will the parties have a stake in Uhuru’s administration? The decision by most of them to enter ‘political marriages’ with Jubilee after the elections was to gain from the Government that was to be formed.

Since being declared winner of the March 4 election, Uhuru has lured more than ten political parties to Jubilee in post-election agreements. The major political parties to have joined the Jubilee coalition include United Democratic Forum of former presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi and New Ford-Kenya of Eugene Wamalwa and Kanu.

Others are the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) headed by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Kadu Asili among others. Hamisi MP Charles Gimose, of Liberal Party of Kenya also decided to work with Jubilee, despite his party being in CORD.

Before the first dispatch of Cabinet nominees by Uhuru on Tuesday, some in these parties were highly expectant that if the entire line-up was to be unveiled, one or two of their members would be brought on board the ruling coalition.

A party like the UDF had even affirmed its commitment to the Jubilee coalition during its retreat at the Elementaita Lodge in Naivasha earlier in the weekend, in what political pundits viewed as a strategic move days before the unveiling of Cabinet.  A New Ford-Kenya official had also intimidated the party was optimistic of landing a Cabinet slot, but none came when Uhuru made the second announcement on Thursday.

Joined Jubilee

“The way the Cabinet has been crafted leaves parties that had joined Jubilee after the win in a delicate situation. It’s a situation worth watching in the coming days,” says Dr Masibo Lumala of Moi University.

Lumala says it may all depend on how Uhuru deals with the leadership of parties that he had brought on board, and how he explains to them what had happened and why it had to happen. The question remains whether such political parties will see any comfort in remaining without rewards coming their way in terms of appointments.

The only politicians to benefit from the Cabinet appointments were Charity Ngilu and Najib Balala, all of who were in the Jubilee team during presidential campaigns. Uhuru’s hands are somehow tied in the appointment of principal secretaries. Under the new laws, Uhuru shall appoint the principal secretaries with the approval of Parliament from a list submitted to him by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).

More than 2,000 professionals had applied for the positions but the PSC chairperson Margaret Kobia, says that only 155 had been shortlisted for interviews running between April 29 and May 10.

After receiving the shortlisted 66, Uhuru will pick the names to fit the 18 ministries he created last week before sending them to Parliament for approval.

Some dockets have been reconstituted to allow for more than one principal secretary to enable the government to function more efficiently. While the Constitution limits the number of Cabinet Secretaries to 22, it is silent on the number of principal secretaries, meaning there might be more appointments above the number of ministries.

Lawyer James Mwamu, the President of the East African Law Society predicts that parties that will get a raw deal could easily start backing the Opposition in the National Assembly. “You cannot rule out the possibility of some of the parties reviewing their standpoints,” added Mwamu, who is also a member of the Law Society of Kenya.

Through the post-election deal, Jubilee had pushed its numbers in the National Assembly to 216, with only 16 remaining to hit the 232 absolute majority in the House.

Strong presence

Maseno University lecturer Martin Mulwale says Uhuru needs the parties working with him to maintain a strong presence in the National Assembly and the Senate.

“Political wisdom dictates he maintains the working relationship with the parties for his own benefit. He has therefore to look for ways of ensuring the ties equally benefit leadership of these parties,” added Mulwale. Uhuru, when asked earlier in the week by journalists at State House on whether those politicians who assisted Jubilee win could be rewarded, had said the Government will be all inclusive.

Moi University law lecturer Titus Bittok argues the standards set for the Cabinet may have been high, but Uhuru was likely to appoint some of his close political allies in other positions. “There are other positions such as parastatals where the President can appoint some of his close allies and such positions are yet to be filled,” added Bittok.