On the 10th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, several politicians have voiced their opinion over certain elements that are up for debate. One such issue is the reintroduction of MPs to cabinet appointments.
The topic was addressed as reports of a looming cabinet reshuffle emerged after President Uhuru Kenyatta sent his CSs on leave in the month of August.
Vocal Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen declared that he was opposed to having Members of Parliament also serving the Executive arm in Cabinet.
"This will re-introduce inequalities in constituencies where the ministers will come from as it was in the past. It also deals a blow to the principle of separation of powers," the former Senate Majority leader noted.
ANC part Leader Musalia Mudavadi, on his part, stated that the final say in the changes in the constitution should lie with the Kenyan people. In his view, the political class should not push their selfish agenda that would negatively impact the masses.
On the issue of the Prime Minister position, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi opined that an expanded Executive would help ease the tensions witnessed during elections.
"I think because of the kind of tension a presidential election tends to arouse in the country, lets tinker with it; some hybrid-President, Prime Minister. I think it would reduce the tension that we see during election time," he stated.
On the other hand, lawyer PLO Lumumba stated that introducing a Prime Minister post would not help solve the problem of a tumultuous election period.
"I do not think having a Prime Minister will solve our problem. I think our problem lies in our political culture, not the presidential system or parliamentary system. Our problem is ethnicisation of our politics," he observed.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot was of the opinion that the expansion of the Executive was constitutionalising tribalism.
"This clamour is always about the five top communities. What happens to the others?" he stated.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo stated that it was time to re-think the presidential system campaigning for the parlimanetary system instead.
"In the Committee of Experts (CoE), we had proposed a parliamentary system. It was our view then, a view I hold even now, that a parliamentary system serves us better but when the draft went to Members of Parliament in Naivasha, they resolved that we go presidential," he disclosed.
