Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua wants to move the Department of Housing from Prof Jacob Kaimenyi's Ministry of Lands and Housing to James Macharia's Ministry of Transport.
Insider sources say this is because of multi-billion shilling projects expected to commence soon.
Kinyua sent a letter dated February 19, 2016, to Kaimenyi, which was received on February 24 at the Ministry of Lands, directing the CS to facilitate the transfer.
The letter was copied to all the other CSs.
“The State Department of Housing, Urban Development and Public Works is currently domiciled in the Ministry of Lands. This letter is to authorise transfer of the same,” the letter said.
“The purpose of this letter is to notify you of this change and to facilitate the immediate transfer of the state department."
Part of the projects expected to be started soon by the department include a Sh1 billion police housing scheme and another project dubbed Donor Support for Urban Development, whose ultimate budget is not complete but sources put it in the multiple billions of shillings.
Kaimenyi will be left with a shell and only one Principal Secretary – Lands PS Mariamu el Maawy – while Macharia will have his ministry expanded to six PSs. They are John Mosonik (Roads), Nancy Karigithu (Maritime), Irungu Nyakera (Transport), Prof Mwangi Maringa (Public Works) and Aidah Njeri Munano (Housing and Development).
Of the six PSs that will be under Macharia, five are from his Mount Kenya backyard.
“Transport is already a huge ministry, so you wonder why they would want to add another state department under it,” said a source at the Ministry of Lands who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
“And besides, what does Housing have to do with Transport? The Ministry of Lands and Housing is obviously the best and most practical place for it to be.”
Our source added: “The state departments were formed just three months ago, in December 2015, and people posted. What has changed in just three months to necessitate this transfer, unless you want to say that the government planning is wrong and poor?”
Several parastatals under Housing, including the National Housing Corporation and the National Construction Authority, will automatically move to Macharia's ministry if the department is transferred.
“Regional balance has been a major consideration in the constitution of government arms and what is happening at the Ministry of Transport contravenes this,” the source said.
Yesterday, Kaimenyi appeared before the Parliamentary Budget Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing chaired by Maina Kamanda. Sources at the meeting disclosed Kaimenyi tried to raise the issue of the transfer of the department and question its rationale, but the chairman said the issue was not on the agenda and would not be discussed.