The ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi is also the opposition leader has praised President Uhuru Kenyatta for adopting the four Tier system of Authority which places CS Matiang’i at the helm of power.
Speaking to Citizen TV on the state of the nation address hosted by Sam Kigutu, Musalia Mudavadi has said that President Uhuru Kenyatta has realized that he needs to work towards his Big Four Agenda.
Mudavadi: Let us be rational when it comes to infrastructural projects because the pace at which projects are being rolled out in this country seems to indicate that people are rushing to have capital projects because they believe that is where the commissions are #DayBreak pic.twitter.com/yziD0c4tx5
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 23, 2019
Mudavadi insisted that this four tier system of authority will see efficiency in the service delivery of the nation. This will also enable him to receive direct reports on the progress of all development projects.
Mudavadi has also said that President Uhuru Kenyatta is more focused on his legacy which is deeply enshrined with the war against graft.
Musalia Mudavadi: If we do not focus on building young people by engaging/ giving them opportunities then it becomes a very rich hunting ground for radicalization
50% of the youth when asked, do not also mind about corruption so we have a lot of work to do as a country #DayBreak pic.twitter.com/eRfjUohNab
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 23, 2019
Matiang’i will take charge of the implementation and monitoring of all development projects initiated and funded by the national government through a new Cabinet sub-committee.
The sub-committee will be known as the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee. It brings on board all CSs, Attorney General Kihara Kariuki and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.
Under the new directive, the conceptualisation, monitoring, implementation and evaluation will be done right from the grassroots.
This means MPs will no longer be trooping to Ruto’s office to lobby for development projects. In a clear show of confidence in the no-nonsense Matiang’i, Uhuru also handed him the critical National Transport and Safety Authority, which was initially in the giant Transport ministry under James Macharia.
The President’s move is seen as a deliberate strategy to take charge of his legacy projects, especially the Big Four Agenda, coming just days after a storm in his Central Kenya backyard that he had neglected the region.
Ruto who has been the face of monitoring and commissioning of government projects is reportedly in bad books with the powerful Matiang’i. It remains unclear how the two would relate going forward, with the DP known to be traversing the country nearly every weekend to dish out development goodies.
According to the executive order dated Monday this week, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich will deputise Matiang’i in the Cabinet sub-committee.
Among the central roles of the committee would be to ensure coordinated strategic communication to the public and other stakeholders in the progress of government programmes and projects.
Other functions include monitoring and evaluation of the follow-up mechanism for resources allocated for priority programmes and projects to ensure proper use and realizstion of targeted outcomes.
The committee has been given sweeping powers and could recommend termination of some contracts and recommend legal action in cases where there is presumed loss of public funds.
It will provide “timely guidance on appropriate measures to address challenges constraining effective implementation and delivery of development programmes and projects”.
Reporting to the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee is a technical team comprising 14 princiapal secretaries to be known as the National Development Implementation Technical Committee.
The committee to be chaired by Interior PS Karanja Kibicho comprises PSs overseeing the Big Four Agenda. It also brings on board Solicitor General Ken Ogeto and Head of Presidential Delivery Unit Nzioka Waita.
The Kibicho led-team will propose budgetary provisions in annual ministerial budgets and medium-term expenditure framework for priority initiatives. The team will also draw up an implementation calendar of critical government projects across the country.
It will also prepare accurate monthly progess reports on government projects and report to the Matiang’i-led Cabinet sub-committee.