The Opposition has been given a boost by former Justice minister Martha
Karua and former Medical Services Assistant minister Danson Mungatana
who resigned from Government two weeks ago.
The agenda for the coalition partners, however, indicates that the two
could be drawing farther apart rather than bridging the rift as
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have promised.
While PNU Chief Whip George Thuo was cautious about the agenda ahead,
saying only the President could set the agenda, MPs hinted that a vote
of no confidence against the PM was on the cards.
Others grumbled that the recent resignation of Ms Karua and Mr
Mungatana would present a challenge although it was not yet clear if
the two were among the 57 MPs alleged to have signed a petition for
official recognition of an Opposition caucus in Parliament.
Time running out
ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo said his party would go for reforms.
"We have realised that time for reforms spelt out in the National Accord is running out and we have to focus on them," he said.
He said ODM would want reforms in the Judiciary, police force and
restructuring of key Government departments so that they are placed
under relevant ministries to avoid implementation conflicts.
Mr Midiwo added that the party would insist on the restructuring of the
Head of Pubic Service and Office of the Government spokesman and that
they be placed under the PM for easy supervision.
"Muthaura is an impediment to reforms and smooth running of the
Coalition Government. We not only want him out, but we also demand that
the Secretary to the Cabinet docket be transferred from the Office of
the President to the PM's office," said Midiwo.
But PNU MPs rubbished the demands to move the offices of Head of Civil
Service and Government spokesman, including replacing the office
bearers.
Nairobi Metropolitan Development Minister Mutula Kilonzo told The
Standard that PNU would not accept the removal of the two dockets from
the President's office, saying doing so would amount to ceding the
executive wings to the PM.
"Instead of building the PM's office constructively, the ODM and PM
Raila Odinga seem to think their work is to claw away the presidency.
Kenyans are watching," said Mutula.
Mutula said the PM's office was intended to be an institution to inform
the constitutional reforms the country needs. "Sadly, it has turned out
to be a one-man show for one political party ODM affairs," said
Mutula.
Demeaning and cowardly'
He accused the PM of failing to care what other parties think as he concentrated on ODM affairs.
"In this sense, the PM's office is a failure," he said. "Why hasn't the
PM assigned duties to Deputy Prime Ministers Musalia Mudavadi and Uhuru
Kenyatta? Why doesn't Caroli Omondi (PM's administrative secretary)
speak for the PM?"
Terming the campaign against the two civil servants demeaning and
cowardly, three PNU MPs, led the Central Kenya Forum Chairman Ephraim
Maina, accused ODM of engaging in cheap and malicious politics driven
by ethnic hate.
"ODM should not keep making demands on matters that are not within
their mandate as a political party. There is not a single time that PNU
has ever demanded that appointees allied to the PM be removed as they
are demanding of Muthaura," said Mr Maina.
The Mathira MP said Mr Muthaura, besides being the Head of
Civil Service, was also a PS in President Kibaki's office just like the Prime Minister has a PS.
"Their demand that the two (Muthaura and Mutua) be sacked is in bad faith. We will not support that," Maina said.
Maragua MP Elias Mbau said it was demeaning for ODM to retreat to Naivasha for two days to discuss two civil servants.
"The two individuals are not worth a retreat and discussion by a major
political party like ODM. It is demeaning and cowardly the party to
lock themselves in Naivasha only to emerge calling for the sacking of
two individuals who are not even politicians," said Mr Mbau.
Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama said ODM's attack on Muthaura and Mutua
was because of their ethnic background and not their performance.
The ODM-Kenya MP challenged ODM to tell Kenyans the failure in
performance of the two instead of making blanket calls for their
removal.
"They should stop targeting a few individuals simply because they come
from a particular region. It is their right to be in those positions
and they better accept that," said Mr Muthama.
But ODM insisted that Muthaura and Mutua's offices must be restructured to have the holders answerable to the PM.
"The PM is the chief coordinator and supervisor of all Government
affairs carried out by ministers. How can he coordinate the work if the
Head of Civil Service is under a different department?" asked Midiwo.
The Standard
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