President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to chair a committee mandated to supervise all government projects, including the Jubilee government’s legacy-driven ‘Big Four’ agenda.
The sweeping powers given to Fred Matiang’i on the oversight of Government programmes has signaled the presidents in the Interior Cabinet Secretary in his final term in office that will shape his legacy.
Dr Matiang’i will chair a key committee on the implementation of development programmes, whose membership includes all Cabinet secretaries, the Attorney General and Head of the Public Service, a mandate that a Government insider said essentially elevates him to a “prime minister or chief minister.”
The position closely reflects when Raila became Prime Minister after the controversial 2007 presidential election in which he was placed in charge of the coordination and supervision of government ministries.
The president delegated the powers to Matiang’i in an Executive Order that for the first time hands a CS an expansive responsibility to chair and coordinate government development programmes and projects.
With four years left to his presidency Uhuru is keen to streamline operations within his Cabinet to help deliver the Big Four Agenda.
According to Executive Order number 1 of 2019 signed in Mombasa on Monday, Matiang’i will report to the President.
Matiang’i will now chair the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee whose vice-chairperson will be National Treasury and Planning CS Henry Rotich.
Executive order
Members of the committee include all Cabinet Secretaries, Attorney General Paul Kihara while Head of the Public Service forms the secretariat.
“The composition of the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee and other specified committees for delivery and oversight of national government development programmes and projects shall be organised as set out in the structure detailed in the schedule hereto,” read part of the order.
According to insiders, the president met Matiang’i in Mombasa on Sunday where they discussed the new roles.
“The functions are now broad and show some level of confidence in Matiang’i and his team,” said an insider who knows the developments in Government.
The move comes at a time that Uhuru is rushing to implement his Big Four Agenda against tight budgetary allocations. Yesterday, the president addressed security chiefs in Mombasa telling them national unity, development, security and zero tolerance to corruption were national priorities in the next four years.
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