• The proposal is different from that of the ODM party which wants a powerful prime minister’s post with two deputies.
• ODM's suggestion that the PM, who would be head of government, be appointed from the party with majority MPs had drawn resistance largely from Mt Kenya lawmakers.
Image: FILE
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi has proposed the creation of the post of a prime minister appointed by the President subject to the approval of Parliament.
Mudavadi said that the role of the premier, who is to come from the president's party, must be clearly defined should the country create the position.
The proposal is different from that of the ODM party which wants a powerful prime minister’s post with two deputies.
ODM's suggestion that the PM, who would be head of government, be appointed from the party with majority MPs had drawn resistance largely from Mt Kenya lawmakers.
Deputy President William Ruto on the other hand wants a powerful president, not one overshadowed by a powerful prime minister.
In his presentation to the Building Bridges Initiative task force, Mudavadi suggested that the 47 counties be supported by Regional Economic Blocs.
“We are totally against the introduction of a third-tier of government as has been suggested at some BBI popularisation public rallies,” Mudavadi said.
Governors have thrown their weight behind the calls for a three-tier system of government proposed by ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
Critics have however said the governors, especially those set to leave office after serving their constitutional terms, are seeking political life-lines.
Raila argues that some counties are not economically viable and wants the Constitution changed to divide the country into 14 regions.
Mudavadi said that he had nasty experiences during the Grand Coalition Government when he served as the deputy prime minister.
He said his roles and those of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were not defined, which led to insubordination, sabotage and buck-passing.
President Uhuru Kenyatta also served as deputy prime minister during the coalition arrangement.
“What you were told was not what happened in most instances. There are so many things that happened, which people never knew about; and they were as a result of not having our roles properly defined,” he said.
Mudavadi said that Raila had a difficult time chairing the sub-committee of the Cabinet because the PNU side would see him as overstepping his mandate.
“When Raila wanted to chair a sub-committee of the Cabinet, the PNU side would feign commitment elsewhere. The ministers responsible would not turn up and the meeting would not take place. It went on and on and this took a toll on the prime minister,” he said.
The Grand Coalition Government was formed in the aftermath of the post-electoral crisis including widespread violence in 2007.
It was based on the conviction that such an arrangement would promote compromise and conciliation between rival factions
Mudavadi said that together with Uhuru, he had the opportunities to chair the sub-committee of the Cabinet when the prime minister was away.
“When I would chair the meeting, the PNU side would disappear. I would then be forced to postpone the meeting because of a lack of quorum. The same happened to Uhuru,” he said.
In some instances, he said, Cabinet ministers would say the matters on the table were too technical for them, which needed to be handled by the PSs.
“And when you talk to the PSs, they would tell you they don’t sit in a Cabinet meeting,” he said.
Mudavadi advised the BBI task force led by vice-chair Adams Oloo and joint secretaries Paul Mwangi and Martin Kimani to propose a structure that would not lead to such incidents.
With him were party MPs Ayub Savula (Lugari), Sakwa Bunyasi (Nambale), Beatrice Adagala (Vihiga county), party secretary general Barack Muluka and national chairman Kelvin Lunani.
ANC also proposed the establishment of the Office of Official Leader of Opposition with a Shadow Cabinet funded by the Treasury.
He said in order to achieve electoral justice in Kenya, there must be a deliberate effort to make IEBC autonomous, with sufficient capacity to discharge its functions.
“Provide adequate funding to IEBC to ensure that it performs its constitutional obligations. Just like other commissions, the funding for IEBC should be drawn directly from the Consolidated Fund to avoid executive mischief,” he said.
Mudavadi said one of the challenges the BBI process is facing is the impression “created, either by design or by default,” that it is intended to serve the interests of a few individuals.
“It is important, therefore, that the task force reassures Kenyans that this process will be inclusive,” he said.