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Kenya: President Meets Karua And Uhuru Over Deputy Premier
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Joseph Murimi And Francis Ngige
Nairobi
President Kibaki met two Cabinet ministers over the Deputy Prime Minister's seat.
Sources said the meeting with Ms Martha Karua and Mr Uhuru Kenyatta also discussed the standoff between PNU and ODM over a new Cabinet. The meeting at the Office of the President started at 10am and ended shortly before 1pm, on Wednesday.
Uhuru and Karua are said to be the favourites for the deputy PM's post reserved for PNU.
Elsewhere, MPs, Mr George Thuo (Juja), Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri (Laikipia East) and Mr Elias Mbau (Maragua) said appointment of the deputy PM should be on merit, not regional balance.
They told politicians not to put undue pressure on the President on who to appoint.
Speaking in Othaya, the MPs differed with Energy minister, Mr Kiraitu Murungi, who had earlier said the seat should go to a person outside the Mt Kenya region.
"Marginalised groups like women and youth can be considered," said Thuo.
Meanwhile, the 50-50 sharing of Cabinet positions has put PNU coalition partners in a predicament.
With pressure for a lean Cabinet intensifying, PNU leaders appear to be in a fix on how to satisfy allies and regions that voted for them.
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Sources at PNU said the delay in naming of the Cabinet was partly because Kibaki had appointed half the ministers.
On Tuesday, the President and Prime Minister-designate, Mr Raila Odinga, failed to agree on the Cabinet. PNU reportedly proposed a Cabinet of 44 members, while ODM wanted 34 ministries.
But this has been opposed by the public, religious leaders and civil society who favour a lean Cabinet.
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