Kenya Kwanza Coalition Power Structure Revealed

The details of the Kenya Kwanza alliance agreement read like a return on investment. It is a reap-what-you-sow kind of power sharing deal.

The elaborate document, drawn by Tharaka Nithi Senator Prof. Kithure Kindiki, was presented to the Registrar of Political Parties on Sunday, May 8, just before the deadline for coalitions to outline how they will relate before, during and after the general election, as well as power sharing and government structures incase they win the presidential bid.

In the power structure outlined in this agreement, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party led by DP William Ruto gets the presidential flag bearer post as well as the running mate slot, and specifically someone from the Mt. Kenya region.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary slot goes to Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi in the event Ruto wins in his presidential bid.

According to the agreement, Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula and his Ford Kenya party, bags the National Assembly Speaker’s seat. Whereas Pamoja African Alliance party led by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi gets the the Senate speaker’s slot.

Moreover, the Kenya Kwanza coalition agreement provides for a cabinet with 21 ministries, which will be shared among members of the coalition.

In the Ruto power structure, Mudavadi and Wetangula are to be allocated 30 per cent of the appointive government posts should they win August, 9 polls. These posts include:

• The Prime Cabinet Secretary
• Six Cabinet Secretary slots
• National Assembly Speaker
• Priority development projects in Western Kenya region.

However, to secure these prime positions, the coalition agreement requires Mudavadi and Wetangula to deliver not less than 70 per cent of the Western Kenya votes during the August, 9 presidential race.

The western region has five counties namely; Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Busia and Trans Nzoia. All these counties have a combined total of 2,592,437 registered voters.

Also, part of the priority development projects negotiated by the two western Kenya leaders in the coalition agreement, include:

• The completion of all incomplete or stalled bitumen roads
• 1,000 kilometers of new bitumen roads
• Resources to revive and modernize sugar factories such as Mumias and Nzoia.

However, these projects are subject to adjustments to accommodate development priorities of other parts of the country.

The primary Kenya Kwanza alliance agreement is founded by three parties; UDA, ANC and Ford Kenya, who will be assigned Parliamentary leadership slots on pro-rata basis, according to the number of Parliamentary seats won by each party.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, who recently ditched Azimio la Umoja One Kenya team for Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza negotiated for the Senate Speaker slot, in the agreement and also secured a political promisory note for his supporters’ appointment to top management positions at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

To get this, the agreement’s schedule requires Kingi and his Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party to secure at least 50 per cent of the presidential votes cast in Kilifi County in the August, 9 polls for DP Ruto.

In addition, Dr. Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap negotiated for a Cabinet Secretary slot in a ministry relevant to infrastructure or public utilities, such as energy or water, in the Kenya Kwanza government. However, failure to get the CS slot, he commits to settle for nomination in either the National Assembly or Senate and backed to clinch the majority or minority leader in either of the Houses.

To achieve this, governor Mutua must garner at least 35 per cent of the presidential votes cast in the three counties of; Ukambani, Machakos, Kitui and Makueni for Ruto.

Furthermore, to avert the fallout witnessed between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, the Kenya Kwanza coalition agreement clearly outlines and demarcates functions of the DP and the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

According to the agreement, the Deputy President will:

• Chair all cabinet committees
• Oversee implementation of cabinet decisions
• Coordinate relations between the national and county governments
• Coordinate planning and supervision of projects and programmes funded by development partners
• Coordinate constitutional commissions and independent bodies in matters that require national government intervention
• Undertake any other functions assigned by the president.

The president will be required by the coalition agreement to respect, defend, guarantee stature, dignity, financial and operational autonomy of the deputy president’s office.

Besides, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, who according to the agreement will be appointed through an Executive order within 14 days if Kenya Kwanza clinches the presidency, will have five duties. The top four are:

• Assisting the president and deputy president in coordination and supervision of government ministries and state departments
• Overseeing implementation of national government policies
• Chairing and coordinating government legislative agenda across all ministries and state departments for transmission to Parliament through leadership of both Houses
• Coordinating and supervising the technical monitoring and evaluation of government policies and projects.

Nonetheless, apart from the three prime constituent member parties of the coalition, Kenya Kwanza has 11 other associate parties.

In the coalition’s  agreement, the 11 parties, among them DP, Tujibebe, TSP and Chama Cha Kazi will be assigned a share of the government, depending on their contribution, including the number of parliamentary and county seats garnered.