Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i and his Transport counterpart James Macharia are emerging as the 'Super Ministers' in President Uhuru Kenyatta's second administration.
Macharia's Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development is one of the largest in the Uhuru administration, while Matiang’i commands the administrative machine that will coordinate and ensure implementation of the Big Four agenda.
Not only are the two in charge of the largest ministries; they also have the highest budgetary allocations and together will control nearly Sh500 billion in government spending in the 2018/19 financial year, according to the Budget Policy Statement which is now before Parliament.
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The two ministries are also among those that Uhuru expects to steer his 'Big Four' economic agenda intended to cement his legacy.
Improving National Security is listed as one of the key enablers for the 'Big Four' agenda. As the man in charge of the country’s security, Matiang'i has in the recent past shown how far he can flex his muscles as Uhuru seeks to make law and order a priority.
According to the 2018/19 Budget Policy Statement, Matiang’i will control Sh286.7 billion, while Macharia will have a purse of Sh301 billion to spend.
The two account for nearly 30 per cent of the proposed budget of Sh1.68 trillion for 2018/19.
By comparison, departments in other ministries directly engaged in the 'Big Four' plan do not have budgets as huge as the Interior and Transport dockets.
The expanded ministry of Agriculture that will deliver the food security promise has an allocation of Sh16.4 billion, livestock (Sh11 billion), fisheries (Sh3.9 billion) and Irrigation (Sh15.6 billion), adding up to Sh46.9 billion.
Under the manufacturing pillar, the ministry of Energy has been allocated Sh74.8 billion, ICT (Sh31.2 billion) and Investment & Industry (Sh10.2 billion).
The ministry of Health, which is another pillar of the 'Big Four', has been allocated Sh69.9 billion.
The Big Two in the Big Four plan dwarf the rest of the ministries. The Interior ministry will be allocated Sh130.8 billion, and that of Correctional Services (formerly Home Affairs under the Vice President’s office) will get Sh27.4 billion. The National Intelligence Service, which also falls under Matiang’i, has been allocated Sh28.5 billion.
Among the litany of things that Matiang’i has to procure according to the plan are 10,000 motorbikes for chiefs and assistant chiefs.
There is also the installation of the Surveillance and Control System, equipping the stalled forensic laboratory and implementation of third-generation identity cards.
According to current Immigration director and PS nominee Gordon Kihalangwa, the new ID will contain one’s NTSA, NHIF, NSSF and KRA details, hence making it easier for Kenyans to conduct business.
“The third-generation card, which will be rolled out next year, will have all personal details, including driving licence,” Kihalangwa said yesterday.
Macharia's plate is even fuller, with Uhuru’s plan for the provision of improved infrastructure and affordable housing falling under his docket.
Other than housing, Macharia has been instructed to focus on the completion of the ongoing capital projects and “in particular infrastructure projects with high impact on poverty reduction, equity and employment creation.”
These include the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway, upgrading of airports and seaports as well as the 10,000km road projects promised in his first term.
All these are cited as enablers of the 'Big Four' agenda, which aims to raise the share of the manufacturing sector to 15 percent of GDP; ensure that all Kenyans enjoy food security and improved nutrition by 2022; achieve universal health coverage, and deliver at least 500,000 affordable housing units.
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When Uhuru announced the second lot of Cabinet Secretaries and nominated Farida Karoney to Lands, he made no mention of Housing and Urban Development, which go hand-in-hand. A few days later, he named Charles Mwaura as the Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, under Macharia’s ministry.
The State departments in Macharia’s super ministry are transport, infrastructure, housing and urban development, maritime and shipping affairs and public works.
In the Budget Policy Statement, transport has been allocated Sh87.3 billion; Infrastructure (Sh181.5 billion); Housing and Urban Development (Sh19.1 billion); Maritime and Shipping Affairs (Sh326 million) and Public Works (Sh2.8 billion).
By putting bankers in charge of one of his key pillars for the 'Big Four', Uhuru is keenly aware of what it will take to finance the ambitious plan of 500,000 new homeowners by 2022. “This will provide decent homes, create an additional 350,000 jobs, provide market for manufacturers and suppliers and raise the contribution of the real estate and construction sector to 14 percent of GDP," Treasury CS Henry Rotich said.
The seaports at both Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean have been identified by the government as key catalysts for the blue economy.
Fish processing is one of the areas targetted to expand the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the country’s GDP by increasing fishing to 18,000 metric tons of fish annually from the current 2,500 metric tons.
Because of their huge allocations the two ministries are likely to be the nest for tenderpreneurs and will be under the microscope of many watchdogs. Moreso because of last week’s decision by the High Court to open up military and security expenditures to public audit.
Matiang'is meteoric rise in the Uhuru administration began as minister for ICT, during which he tried to create a centralised public communications system for the government. He was later moved to Education, where he straddled the arena, raiding schools and terrifying cartels that had taken control of the system. When Joseph Nkaissery died, Matiang’i was appointed acting minister for Interior as he held on to the Education portfolio, where he will be remembered for presiding over far-reaching reforms and streamlining national examinations.
His performance as Interior minister in the period leading up to the election and ruthlessly stamping out demonstrations endeared him to the President, who confirmed him in the new docket last month.
As minister in charge of security and coordination of national government programmes, his mandate sets him above all the other ministers. He has at his beck and call, on behalf of the President, the network of the former provincial administration (regional coordinators and county administrators) and security agencies, except the military.
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In addition to the Interior and Coordination of National Government departments, Uhuru merged another three directorates and placed them under Matiang’i. He created the State Department for Immigration, Border Control and Registration of Persons and named Kihalangwa as the Principal Secretary.
Last month, Matiang’i banned the National Resistance Movement and ordered the deportation of Miguna Miguna to Canada for engaging in “activities undermining national security”.
He also went after the passports of various Opposition politicians, with Immigration Director Kihalangwa sending out letters suspending the travel documents.
Already, County Commissioners are appearing on community radio stations to explain the 'Big Four' and outline the specific projects for their regions.
On December 8, Uhuru met County and Regional Commissioners at State House, Nairobi, where he outlined his agenda and their role in it.
A month later, Matiang'i and Macharia met them again at the Kenya School of Government, where they reiterated the President’s stand.
The commissioners have already been instructed to countersign all contract certificates for government projects before payment.
“The government will not pay contractors without the concurrence of the Regional Commissioners and the County Commissioners. Certificates will be filed and if people are lying to us that they have done roads that do not exist and you’re certifying them, you will be the first person to take responsibility. It is plain and simple,” Matiang’i told the commissioners.
“As time goes by, we will continue making arrangements with the other ministries because it is the hope of the President that the government will work as one unit. This will be done at the grassroots level through national government representatives,” Matiang’i said.
Uhuru has also instructed Matiang’i to ensure that the rivalry that has played out between County Commissioners and Police Commanders is a thing of the past.