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Kenya: A Bloated Cabinet Will Not Help Country
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The Nation (Nairobi)
EDITORIAL
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Nairobi
President Kibaki yesterday called for patience as he and Mr Raila Odinga seek a way out over the row on the proposed coalition Cabinet.
That plea should cool down the tension that is building up as politicians and their supporters trade accusations over the matter.
But two critical issues must be addressed: the Cabinet size and its composition. Already, the public have made it clear that they want a lean Cabinet.
Several politicians have said as much, and so have organised groups like the National Council of Churches of Kenya and human rights organisations.
There is deep disappointment over the proposal by PNU for a 44-member Cabinet. Even the 34 proposed by ODM is unacceptable.
A bloated Cabinet is a burden to taxpayers. That is simple logic. In fact, all the political parties were unanimous, during their campaigns last year, that they would go for a small Cabinet.
There is no reason why that logic should be dismissed now, especially when the country is going through hard economic times, and belt-tightening is imperative.
Cabinet positions are not for massaging the egos of political supporters. Neither are they for pleasing communities or winning votes.
They are positions of responsibility and service. The tragedy is that the political leadership has abused this principle and turned Cabinet appointments into a tool for rewarding loyalty.
President Kibaki and Mr Odinga have to break from this. We, therefore, advise them against a 30-plus member Cabinet.
They must go for fewer ministerial positions and most importantly, appoint qualified and competent people to run them.
However, the principle of regional and gender balance must be observed because the country cannot afford the politics of exclusion.
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This leads to the second point, namely, implementing the National Accord to the letter.
Having signed a power-sharing pact, the two leaders committed themselves to equal Cabinet positions and portfolio balance. They must adhere to that.
Ultimately, they must resist selfish backers who are pushing them to set up an expanded Cabinet.
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