Hasten naming of Cabinet to get country moving again

President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past function. [Photo: Courtesy]

A few days ago, Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli wondered aloud why it was taking President Uhuru Kenyatta too long to name his full Cabinet, a matter which he, Atwoli, said needed only hours to accomplish.

But while it might not be as easy as Atwoli makes it seem, considering the intrigues and the delicate act of naming a Cabinet that reflects the face of Kenya; one acceptable to all is no easy task. Yet, with his experience, clear goals and an understanding of the people needed to help him secure his legacy, President Uhuru should have dispensed with the matter of the cabinet by now.

Delays in naming the full Cabinet only help in fuelling speculation that all is not well within the ruling party, yet this may not be the case. The anxiety generated by the inordinately long wait is affecting service delivery.

To be sincere, serving Cabinet Secretaries who did not make it to the first list of new appointments are feeling insecure, and cannot give it their all amidst so much uncertainty. Even as time ticks by, a lot seems frozen in time, and President Uhuru needs to get the country moving forward confidently by naming his full cabinet.

This newspaper has argued before that a Cabinet is what gets any government functioning. The world over, a leader is defined by the Cabinet he assembles. The Cabinet advances the agenda of a sitting president.

Already, because of the long time it took to have him sworn into office for a second time, Uhuru has lost time and should have hit the ground running after the swearing in on November 28, 2017. Five years to secure his legacy may look like a long time, but all things considered, and knowing what needs to be done, it is such a short time.

Because eligibility for CS appointment is based on academic qualifications, experience and the ability to deliver, it is unlikely that there is a shortage of competent Kenyans to occasion the delay in naming the full cabinet. Understandably, our toxic politics could be having a hand in the delay, but as the president himself has so often reminded us, we must leave politics behind and embark on developing the country.

The ogre of corruption is still out there threatening our existence. The economy needs a new lease of life that only a fully functional government can breathe into it. Kenyans just want order and a sense of closure.