Former Cabinet ministers and other state officers under two retired Presidents have said unlike now, meetings during their time were compulsory and held every Thursday.
The former ministers served under retired Presidents Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki.
The current Cabinet has not met for the last month, amid claims of cold wars amongst themselves.
On Tuesday, State House spokesperson Kanze Dena Mararo said there was no Cabinet meeting scheduled for today.
"As of now, no Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Thursday [today] but if one is called, we will let you know," she said.
Traditionally, the President chairs the meetings to deliberate on policies, legislation and other matters of national interest.
However, it is understood Interior CS Fred Matiang'i has been chairing most meetings then briefing the head of State.
The President last chaired on June 13, during a special session where budget estimates for 2019-20 financial year were approved.
Nyandarua Governor and former Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia said the common practice is Cabinet should meet twice a month "but can also meet anytime an urgent matter arises".
Kimemia also worked under Kibaki and Uhuru. He said the bulk of work lies with subcommittees. The full Cabinet only meets to go through reports generated by the committees.
"There are various subcommittees that have a lot to deal with and in most cases are watched over by the Secretary to Cabinet. Once they finalise their work, they present them to the full Cabinet chaired by the President," he said.
Franklin Bett, former Bureti MP and longest-serving State House Controller under Moi, said it is unusual for Cabinet to miss an agenda to discuss.
He said Moi religiously chaired every Thursday meeting save for the days he was out of the country.
“We used to meet regularly, we never lacked an agenda to discuss. But it is at the wisdom of the President. Remember there is a team of Cabinet Secretaries chaired by Interior CS Fred Matiang'i that could be taking a bulk of work,” he told the Star on the phone.
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi said while it is the constitutional mandate for the head of state to call Cabinet meetings, “it is long overdue for one as there are urgent issues to be discussed”.
“It is public knowledge that there are differences in the Cabinet. A section of CSs are into succession politics planning on how to eliminate others and this should be one of the issues the President should address in the Cabinet,” he told the Star on the phone.
Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o, who served as Medical Services minister in the grand coalition government, said the number of times a Cabinet can meet depends on the administration of the day.
He added that during his time, they would meet as often as possible.
“I may not have the scientific way to tell what is going on at the moment. Every government has its own culture,” Nyong'o said.
Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri, who served in Cabinet during the Moi and Kibaki era, reckoned that during their time, they met every Thursday.
He was, however, quick to defend Uhuru.
“We had a lot of business to discuss. Remember those days ministers were also members of Parliament and therefore a lot of issues were being raised on the floor of the House, which we would then take for discussion in the Cabinet,” he said.
“Uhuru's four weeks without convening a Cabinet meeting is not too long. He should be able to call one as and when the agenda develops.”
Former Eldama Ravine MP Moses Sirma who also served as the Minister for East Africa Community said the lull could be a result of changes in the structure of government and the politicking government officials.
It appears Cabinet subcommittees are dead and as a result, no one is generating policy papers for discussion in Cabinet, he said.
“Some committees could be dead and that's why the President had appointed Matiang'i to lead in ensuring development is rolled out,” Sirma said.
“Ministers were keen taking notes from what MPs were raising in the House and would proceed to produce policies that would be tabled in Cabinet, now it is a different structure altogether.”
(Edited by N. Mbugua)
