Fred Matiang’i is the most powerful Cabinet Secretary in President Uhuru’s government. That is public knowledge. Anything that the nonsense son of Abagusii says is always treated as supreme law.
As expected, he is not loved by some of his colleagues. There were rumors last year that he had fallen out with DP William Ruto over the new police uniform contracts.
But it seems President Kenyatta has just confirmed Matiang’i as his Prime Minister. The Interior was named Chairperson of a newly constituted National Development Implementation and Communication Committee mandated to supervise the execution of government programmes.
According to an Executive Order issued by the president on Monday, Matiangi will guide the team comprising all Cabinet Secretaries, Attorney General, Kihara Kariuki, and Head of Public Service, Joseph Kinyua.
This executive order has made Fred Matiangi the second most powerful Kenyan after president Uhuru Kenyatta. William Ruto being reduced to a mere spectator in the government. pic.twitter.com/El7zCOcuqb
— Hon Lee Makwiny (@leemakwiny) January 22, 2019
The committee with National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich as the Vice-Chairperson will work alongside a technical team chaired by Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho and deputized by his National Treasury counterpart Kamau Thugge.
Now most people have interpreted this new role as a promotion which was long overdue. But are all Cabinet Ministers happy with having to be bossed around by their colleague?
President Kenyatta said during meeting regional and county commissioners on Tuesday, the security chiefs will chair weekly meetings to monitor the implementation of government projects.
“You will in due course of this week be provided with clear guidelines on standards, procedures and reporting requirements,” Kenyatta told newly deployed security chiefs at State House, Mombasa on Tuesday.