President Uhuru Kenyatta has restructured his government adopting a four tier system of executive. This is in line with Hon. Raila’s first proposal to the constitutional amendment.
CS Fred Matiang’i accelerates into the heart of powerful position. His new role is close to that of a Prime Minister.
The elevation of Matiang’i with supervisory roles across government is likely to whittle down Deputy President William Ruto’s influence.
Matiang’i will take charge of the implementation and monitoring of all development projects initiated and funded by the national government through a new Cabinet sub-committee.
The sub-committee will be known as the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee. It brings on board all CSs, Attorney General Kihara Kariuki and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.
Under the new directive, the conceptualisation, monitoring, implementation and evaluation will be done right from the grassroots.
This means MPs will no longer be trooping to Ruto’s office to lobby for development projects. In a clear show of confidence in the no-nonsense Matiang’i, Uhuru also handed him the critical National Transport and Safety Authority, which was initially in the giant Transport ministry under James Macharia.
Uhuru’s decision to hand Matiang’i the elevated role comes only months after he spearheaded the merciless crackdown on the chaotic matatu industry to restore order through the enforcement of traffic rules. It is work in progress.
Matiang’i also spearheaded radical reforms in the education sector including restoring integrity in national examinations.
In a new executive order, Uhuru established four powerful committees with Matiang’i at the helm.
The Matiangi-led National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee will report directly to the President.
It would provide overall supervisory leadership throughout the delivery circle of all national government’s programmes and projects.
The President’s move is seen as a deliberate strategy to take charge of his legacy projects, especially the Big Four Agenda, coming just days after a storm in his Central Kenya backyard that he had neglected the region.
According to the executive order dated Monday this week, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich will deputise Matiang’i in the Cabinet sub-committee.
Among the central roles of the committee would be to ensure coordinated strategic communication to the public and other stakeholders in the progress of government programmes and projects.
Other functions include monitoring and evaluation of the follow-up mechanism for resources allocated for priority programmes and projects to ensure proper use and realizstion of targeted outcomes.
The committee has been given sweeping powers and could recommend termination of some contracts and recommend legal action in cases where there is presumed loss of public funds.
It will provide “timely guidance on appropriate measures to address challenges constraining effective implementation and delivery of development programmes and projects”.
Reporting to the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee is a technical team comprising 14 principal secretaries to be known as the National Development Implementation Technical Committee.