NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 10 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has made it clear that there are no serving Cabinet Ministers following his assumption of office on Tuesday that officially marked the end of former President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s coalition government.
“Following the swearing-in and subsequent assumption of Office of the President on 9/4/2013, the Grand Coalition Government created under the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, Act No. 4 of 2008 came to an end on midnight of 9th April, 2013.”
Kenyatta has directed that any former Ministers who have not cleared out of their offices should do so without delay as they would be acting in contravention of the law.
“Similarly, the tenure of the Cabinet serving either as part of the Grand Coalition Government or as part of the Caretaker Government under President Kibaki, which has been in place since the holding of the first elections under the Constitution of Kenya 2010, on 4th March 2013, came to an end on midnight of 9th April 2013,” Kenyatta said in a statement sent to newsrooms on Wednesday night.
“Consequently, the occupants of these Cabinet positions are deemed to have vacated them for all purposes whatsoever.”
The Head of State has also directed the serving Permanent Secretaries to run the affairs of the various ministries until he appoints Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries.
“Permanent Secretaries/Accounting Officers will continue to look after the affairs of ministries/departments until the appointments of new Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries are effected,” Kenyatta said in his statement.
Although his authoritative statement left no room for debate, he extended his gratitude to the former Ministers for their service to the nation, “I take this opportunity to thank all Cabinet Ministers for the distinguished service they have rendered to the people of Kenya.”
Ex President Kibaki had already directed the former Ministers who had been elected to new offices after March 4 to vacate office provoking a lashing from the former premier who said the Ministers would only leave office once the grand coalition government was dissolved.
A number of Ministers however vacated office soon after the election was concluded including the former Education Minister and now Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo who aligns himself to the CORD coalition.
The current Constitution only allows the President to appoint a maximum of 22 Cabinet Secretaries.
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