Nairobi — City lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, a self-confessed backer of President William Ruto, has expressed frustration over the appointment of 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) describing the appointees as an unnecessary burden.
"50 FREELOADERS! But I respect the prerogative of His Excellency William Ruto [albeit] GRUDGINGLY," Abdullahi, a Senior Council who has litigated presidential election petitions at the Supreme Court, tweeted on Thursday.
His position was backed by former Mukurweini Member of Parliament Kabando wa Kabando who blamed Ruto's aides for failing to offer sound advice.
Kabando, who once served as Assistant Minister (Youth Affairs), noted that with Parliament having declined to vet the appointees for lack of constitutional provisions on the same, the appointees will not effectively deputize Cabinet Secretaries.
"County Assemblies vet County Executives. National Assembly vets State Officers. Offices not recognized by Constitution are Null and Void," he said.
Kabando suggested the appointees will be unable to represent their respective Cabinet Secretaries before parliamentary committees.
"If Parliament can't approve, it can't oversight it."
The former lawmaker regretted that President Ruto's aides had failed to guide him through what he termed as "statecraft" exposing him to failure.
Ruto's yes-men
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"In 2021, I had 3 exclusive sessions with Ruto [on] electoral options and bottom-up economics. Ruto is a very reflective listener, just like Raila. But Ruto, though lucidly brilliant, needs statecraft. The Cabal of palace yes-men worsens," he said.
He went on to advise: "Mr. President, you'll win big time if you drop 50 CAS."
President Ruto appointed the CAS nominees on Thursday, a day after National Assembly Moses Wetangula returned a note indicating the House lacked the legal pathway to guide the process.
"The obligation to respect, uphold and defend the Constitution enjoins the House to refrain from assuming and discharging a role that it has not been expressly assigned by the Constitution or written law," State House Press Office quoted Wetangula as saying.
Wetangula concluded stating: "In that regard, the National Assembly is unable to vet the nominees in the absence of an express constitutional or statutory requirement to do so".
