Ruto picks Muturi, Shollei and UDA secretary general to transition committee

Uasin Gishu Women Representative Gladys Shollei (left) with National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi at Parliament. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

President-elect William Ruto has nominated National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, UDA Secretary General Veronica Maina, and Uasin Gishu Woman Representative-elect Gladys Boss Shollei to the Transition committee as plans to hand over power continue.

The Transition committee began meeting a month ago to oversee the handover from President Uhuru Kenyatta to President-Elect William Ruto who was declared the winner of the August 9 presidential election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati.

Last week, the transition committee led by Head of Civil Service Joseph Kinyua announced that it is ready to facilitate the handover process including security for the President-elect as the electoral commission raced against time to conclude tallying results following Tuesday's election.

The committee's core mandate is to facilitate a smooth transition from the current administration to the incoming administration and comprises all the arms of government including the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.

The President-Elect is allowed by the Assumption of office President Act, No. 21 of 2012 to nominate three people to join the 20-member committee and voice his interests during the period of planning for the transition.

The assumption of office provisions was enshrined in Article 141 of the Constitution following the chaos of the 2007 election.

The Article gave Parliament the powers to enact the legislation providing for the procedure and ceremony for the swearing-in of the president-elect.

Already the committee has ensured the Inspector-General of the National Police Service has provided security to the president-elect and his deputy during the period they were declared winners of the August 9 election.

The committee is expected to also coordinate the briefing of the President-Elect by relevant public officers ahead of the swearing-in.

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has indicated that he will be moving to the Supreme Court to challenge Ruto's victory.

The transition committee oversaw the 2013 transition, as well as the 2017 re-election of President Kenyatta. In 2013, then Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia, now the outgoing Nyandarua chaired the committee.

The team includes Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, his Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai, Chief of Defence Forces General Robert Kibochi, and the National Intelligence Service Director Philip Kameru.