PNU's arrogance and Lust for BLOATED govt disrupts power-sharing deal = PART 2

2. Kibaki, Raila fail to name Cabinet http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143983863&cid=4Published on March 26, 2008, 12:00 am By Martin Mutua And Patrick WachiraPresident Kibaki and Prime Minister-designate Mr Raila Odinga for the first time appeared to grapple with a power-sharing reality check, forcing a delay in the naming of a new Cabinet.The two leaders failed to agree both on the size of the much-awaited Cabinet and the even more critical issue of portfolio balance, which has to do with the equal sharing out of ministries according to their importance.No major resolution was arrived at after a meeting that lasted two-and-a-half hours at Harambee House on Tuesday. The two principals then adjourned to consult with select members of their respective parties even as anxiety mounted across the country.Last night, sources told The Standard that Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had stuck to the proposal of a Cabinet of Cabinet of 34 members to be shared out on a 50-50 basis, with each side bagging 17 slots.Initially, sources said, President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) was pushing for a seemingly bloated Cabinet of 44.But after much discussion, it is understood that both sides settled for a Cabinet of 34 ministers.However, there was still the matter of exactly which prime ministries already being occupied by PNU would be surrendered to ODM.PNU is said to have been willing to relinquish the ministries of Roads being held by John Michuki and the East African Co-operation, a fairly fringe ministry being held by Kuria MP, Dr Wilfred Machage.When ODM insisted that the Cabinet be reconstituted and that all the key ministries — most of them occupied by PNU after President Kibaki named his half-Cabinet early in the year — be shared out equally, positions are understood to have hardened and the talks quickly deadlocked.ODM Secretary-General, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o (right), addresses the Press at Orange House, Nairobi, on Tuesday. Picture: Govedi AsutsaDocuments obtained by The Standard and which are understood to have formed the basis of Tuesday’s discussions between the two principals reveal how ODM and PNU want the Grand Coalition Government structured.ODM’s proposal shows it has no problems with PNU keeping the presidency, vice-presidency, one deputy PM slot and the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Constitutional Affairs and East African Co-operation.It further wants PNU to retain the ministries of Roads, Lands and Settlement, Energy, Regional Development, Livestock and Fisheries, Defence, Internal Security, Home Affairs and Health.Labour and Human Resource Development, Gender and Social Services and Science and Technology, will also remain in the PNU stable, bringing its total to 18, including the Head of State.The document also proposes the creation of other ministries that could be taken up by ODM besides filling the current vacant ministries of Agriculture, Trade and Industry and Lands.The new ministries proposed by PNU for ODM include: National Cohesion and Harmony, Rice Enterprises and Industrialisation.On its part, ODM wants to be allocated the PM, deputy PM, Finance, Public Service and Provincial Administration, Local Government, Planning and National Development, Transport, Water and Irrigation, Information and Communication, Education, Environment and Natural Resources, Tourism and Wildlife and Agriculture.The Orange party is also interested in Immigration and Registration of Persons, Youth Affairs and Sports, Special Programmes, Housing and Public Works and National Heritage and Culture.More ministriesBut the PNU proposals shows the party wants more ministries created to accommodate everyone, such as the Ministry of Women and Children Development and a split of the Ministry of Education to have basic and higher portfolios.It also wants the Ministry of Health split into Public Health and Medical Services, and Roads and Public Works carved into two.PNU also proposes to hive off a new ministry of Sports from the existing one that houses Sports, Culture and Social Services. It also proposes to have a new ministry known as Nairobi Metropolitan Development and another to be called Implementation of Vision 2030.PNU further wants other new ministries, namely Environment and Mining, Trade (hived off from Trade and Industry) and Development of Arid Lands.According to the PNU structure, the Government side will keep the ministries of Public Service, Local Government, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nairobi Metropolitan Development, Implementation of Vision 2030, Transport, Information and Communication, Energy and Environment and Mining.It also wants to retain the ministries of Livestock Development, Trade, Development of Arid Lands, Defence, Internal Security and Provincial Administration, Home Affairs and Immigration and Registration of Persons.It proposes to retain the ministries of Housing, Women and Children Development, Basic Education, Science and Technology and Public Health.If PNU were to have its way, ODM would take over the ministries of East African Community, Planning and a new ministry of National Cohesion and Harmony.ODM are to also take over the ministries of Roads, Public Works, Water and Irrigation, Lands, Forestry and Wildlife, Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries Development and Co-operatives Development.It will also have Industrialisation, Special Programmes, Medical Services, Labour, National Heritage and Culture, Youth Affairs, Sports and the new Ministry of Higher Education.This would not be the first time the ministry of Education is being split to comprise Basic and Higher as was the case after the 1979 elections with Prof Jonathan Ng’eno and Joseph Kamotho as the ministers respectively.It was understood that President Kibaki maintained he would want to keep ministries that so far have ministers, while ODM takes the rest.The PNU side also flatly rejected the ODM proposals, with the President insisting that there were other ministries available that the ODM MPs could get.Sources said the Head of State held the view that several other ministries, which are vacant, be split to accommodate more members.Those suggested for split included that of Livestock and Fisheries, Gender, Culture and Sports, Roads and Public Works.Further consultationsHousing, National Heritage, Planning and National Development, Immigration, Tourism and Wildlife, Labour and Human Resource Development, Regional Development and Cooperative Development are ministries that are still vacant.After Tuesday’s meting with Kibaki, Raila said: "Our meeting covered a lot of ground and we have made good progress but we need to make further consultations".The ODM leader, who would usually take questions after a meeting of this nature, hurriedly got into a waiting vehicle and headed straight to Parliament Buildings for lunch, while Kibaki remained at Harambee House to consult with PNU top brass.Raila was with Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno and his former presidential campaign manager, Dr Mohammed Isahakia, while Kibaki had Internal Security minister George Saitoti and Head of Civil Service Mr Francis Muthaura.Impeccable sources told The Standard that the Kibaki group is said to have proposed a Cabinet of 44 members to accommodate the vast interests that have to be considered but ODM is said to have opposed the idea.The new-look Cabinet is said to be posing a headache for both leaders as they struggle to achieve a delicate balancing act to accommodate varying interests and stakeholders.Among the key issues posing challenges to Kibaki and Raila are party strength and loyalty, regional balance, gender representation, marginalised groups and geographical spread.Special interest groups have also been demanding a share of the pie, led by the civil society and the disabled.On Tuesday, Raila arrived at the venue of the meeting at 11am, just an hour after President Kibaki. He left at 1.30pm.