Jubilee Party's friends complain of being left out

President Uhuru Kenyatta, Jubilee Party's presidential contender, receives an endorsement certificate from the Economic Freedom Party during the party's delegates convention at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, on May 6, 2017. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Economic Freedom Party, which supported President Kenyatta in the 2017 elections, is dissatisfied with the government appointments so far.
  • Uhuru is yet to name seven principal secretaries.

Jubilee-allied parties that missed out on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Cabinet appointments have reignited calls to be included in the remaining 10 slots in the top office, as well as ambassadorial positions that are yet to filled.

In unveiling his Cabinet, President Kenyatta left unfilled three Chief Administrative Secretary posts, the newly created positions to deputise the CSs and which have been dished out to August 8 election losers.

The ministries without the CASs are Tourism, Defence and Information. The Head of State is also yet to name seven principal secretaries.

ELECTION PACT
Unhappy with their missing out in the first list, the Economic Freedom Party has threatened to paralyse the Mandera County government and withdraw its support for President Kenyatta.

The party, which supported President Kenyatta in the 2017 elections and had competed with the Jubilee Party at the local level, has said it was dissatisfied with the government appointments so far.

“We had an agreement with the Jubilee Party. When we agreed to support them, we were not a non-governmental organisation. We expected parliamentary and national government positions,” EFP chairman Issack Hassan Abbey told the Nation.

COUNTY ASSEMBLY
The party, backed by former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow and Mandera governor’s seat hopeful Hassan Noor Hassan, has five MPs including Yussuf Adan Haji of Mandera West, Banissa’s Hassan Kulow, Mandera East’s Hassan Omar and Lafey’s Ibrahim Mude as well as Woman Rep Amina Gedow.

It also has 27 out of the 48 MCAs in the county Assembly, and has paralysed the county government by rejecting all the 10 executive nominees fronted by Governor Ali Roba.

Mr Roba refused to relinquish his position following a decision by the powerful Garre council of elders to dethrone him and 27 other leaders, and named the Hassan Noor-led group to take over in a case of negotiated democracy that went bad.

PARLIAMENTARY POSTS
In protesting a move by the Jubilee leadership to ask those backed by the council to go for nominations with those that rejected the negotiated democracy, the former group formed the EFP, and demanded respect and recognition from the President.

“We have five MPs in the House, yet when Parliament leadership positions were being shared out they went to Jubilee. We did not get the East African MP seat, no Cabinet post for our party, and even no ambassador post. Why?” Mr Abbey asked.

However, Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju on Wednesday said the party should be contented with the fact that Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed comes from the county.

Meanwhile, Kanu, which also backed President Kenyatta, has also complained about lack of a post in government.