22 April 2008
Nairobi — President Kibaki has appointed 19 new Permanent Secretaries and dropped nine others as he put final touches to the grand coalition government unveiled last week.
Francis Muthaura Secretary to the Cabinet, and Head of Public Service
The team will be headed by long-serving Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, who was widely expected to retire from the Civil Service on account of his age.
Also notable is the return of Dr Mohamed Isahakia to public service as Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office. Dr Isahakia has been Personal Secretary to Prime Minister Raila Odinga at his Pentagon office and was a key member of the ODM team that negotiated sharing of Cabinet positions in the grand coalition government.
The line-up seemed to reward party loyalty as some of those appointed played a key role in the General Election as well as events that followed the disputed presidential election results.
Also in the team are university professors from the public universities, including a deputy vice-chancellor.
The 19 new PSs are among a total of 56 appointees who include key sectional secretaries in the government, the State House Comptroller Hyslop Ipu, Investment Secretary Esther Koimett, Economic Secretary Dr Kamau Thuge and Financial Secretary Mutua Kilaka, who have all retained their jobs.
But contrary to speculation some of those who have attained the retirement age of 55 years were retained in the new line-up.
Those dropped were Dr Gerishon Ikiara of Transport, Cyrus Gituai of Internal Security, Solomon Boit of Local Government, Mahboub Mohamed of Water and Irrigation, Zachary Mwaura of Defence and Ms Joyce Nyamweya who was in charge of Structural Reforms.
Others are Mrs Rachael Arunga of Special Programmes, Rachael Dzombo of Gender, Sports and Social Services and Alice Mayaka of Home Affairs.
Instead, he appointed Mr Francis Kimemia, who has been a deputy secretary, the new Internal Security PS while Mr Kenneth Lusaka, the Murang'a South District Commissioner, was named the Secretary, Provincial Administration.
Mr Abdulrazak Aden Ali, the Managing Director of Uaso Nyiro Development Authority, will be the new PS at Transport while Mr Samuel Kirui, a former Telkom managing director, is the new Local Government PS.
Ms Nancy Kirui has been switched from Home Affairs to Defence and her place taken by Dr Ludeki Chweya, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi who has lately been consulting for the government on political issues.
Global award
Ms Nyamweya's position has been taken over by Mr Richard Ndubai who has been instrumental in civil service reform and is credited with the civil service global award that the government won last year.
The surprise retentions include Energy PS Patrick Nyoike, Prof Karega Mutahi of Education and Dr David Stower of Water and Irrigation. They are all said to be past retirement age.
The new PS for Labour is Ms Beatrice Naliaka Wasike, a PNU supporter who was dropped from being nominated to Parliament in preference for former Local Government minister Musikari Kombo.
The Director of Medical Services, Dr James Nyikal, has been elevated to PS Public Health and Sanitation and his place taken by his deputy, Dr Francis Kimani.
The new PS for National Heritage and Culture, Mr Seno Nyakenyanya, is a former diplomat and lately deputy secretary in the ministry of Youth Affairs.
Dr Silas Njiru, the new PS for Trade, has been working for the African Development Bank in Tunisia. He previously worked for the government.
The PS Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, Ms Amina Mohammed, has been Kenya's Permanent Representative in Geneva, Switzerland.
Been teaching
The new Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Industrialisation is Prof John Krop Lonyangapuo, who has been teaching Mathematics at the University of Nairobi.
The PS Gender and Children Development, Ms Leah Adda Gwiyo, is a career civil servant who was a senior deputy secretary in the Public Service Commission.
The trend of creating Secretaries to head key departments in ministries continued as more were appointed, including Mr Daniel Maanzo, the chairman of ODM-Kenya to head Sports.
Mr Gideon Mulyungi, the chairman of the Architectural Association of Kenya, is the Secretary for Works while Dr Kithure Kindiki, the head of Public Law at the University of Nairobi, is the Secretary for National Cohesion.
Others in the same category are: Prof George Godia, in Education and Prof Abdirazak Shaukat who has been a deputy vice-chancellor at Egerton University and has been appointed Secretary National Council for Science and Technology.
Others appointed Secretaries are: Mr Caroli Omondi (PM's Office, Administration), Mr Simon Chacha Nyangi (External Trade), Mr Said Athman (Culture), Prof Jacqueline Oduol (Gender and Children), Mr John Ndirangu Maina (Nairobi Metropolitan, Physical Planning), Dr Julius Monzi Muia (National Economic and Social Council) and Mr Sam Mwale, who is the Principal Administrative Secretary in OP.
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