By JULIUS OTIENO
Details have emerged of why some political bigwigs failed to get state jobs despite signing pre-poll deals with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
Among the casualties are former governors William Kabogo and Martin Wambora.
It has emerged that Kabogo and Wambora’s parties — Tujibebe Wakenya Party and Devolution Party of Kenya respectively — signed a skewed deal that left them empty-handed despite the coalition winning the polls.
In the coalition agreements seen by the Star, the parties failed to negotiate to reserve specific seats for them in the national government.
Instead, they agreed to get seats based on the performance of their parties in the August 2022 general election.
“Subsequent to the outcome of the General Election scheduled August 9, 2022, Jibebe shall be allocated a share of the appointive positions within the national government…” a deal signed by Tujibebe Wakenya party states.
“….. as may be agreed commensurate with the number of members of County Assemblies, National Assembly, Senate and governors through the Jibebe ticket and the general role played and effort by Jibebe in the presidential campaign proceeding the General Election….” it adds.
Wambora’s DKP signed a similar deal.
This was the case with former CS Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi and Public Service CS Justin Muturi’s Democratic Party.
owever, unlike Kuria and Muturi whose parties won some elective seats landing them top seats in the national government, Wambora and Kabogo’s parties performed dismally in the polls.
Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi and Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku were elected on the DP ticket.
However, the ‘secret’ documents seen by the Star more than two years after Ruto ascended to power, reveal how other parties agreed to share key government positions.
They also disclose the details of the key projects, programmes and interventions Ruto was to undertake in various regions in line with the agreements.
The documents emerged at a time when Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua invoked the pre-poll deals to anchor his ‘shareholding’ utterance now at the centre of his impeachment case.
The DP said regions bargained with the President for shares, and leaders of parties forming the Kenya Kwanza coalition equally demanded a piece of the Kenya Kwanza cake.
“I have never talked about sharing resources, I have been talking about power sharing. For people to get what they deserve in sharing power according to this agreement,” Gachagua said.
In the deal with Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC, the coalition reserved the position of Prime Cabinet Secretary for the outfit.
The position was to be created within 14 days of Ruto being sworn in as President.
The head of state was tasked with allocating functions to the PCS through an Executive Order.
They include assisting the President and his deputy in the coordination and supervision of national government functions and chairing and coordinating legislative agenda.
The PCS was also to be charged with overseeing the implementation of national government policies and programmes, as well as coordinating and supervising the technical monitoring and evaluation of government policies, programmes and projects.
“Within 30 days following the general election, the coalition shall introduce in Parliament legislation that shall provide greater clarity on the position,” the deal states.
The parties agreed that Ford Kenya shall nominate the speaker of the National Assembly.
ANC and Ford Kenya were entitled to a 30 per cent share of the positions in the national government including CSs, PSs, ambassadors, high commissioners and chairpersons of state corporations.
This would also apply to the directors of state corporations’ chairpersons and commissioners of constitutional commissions.
The parties also agreed that the government shall complete all incomplete or stalled bitumen road projects in western Kenya, and construct new 1,000KM bitumen roads in the region.
The government was also to pump in money to revitalise Mumias, Nzoia and other sugar factories in the area.
They also agreed to establish manufacturing, fishing, agro-processing or housing projects and implement priority and other projects.
In their deal with the Senate, speaker Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance Party, the Coalition also agreed to reserve the position of the senate speaker for the party and one position for a principal secretary.
“The parties may in a separate schedule to this agreement, agree on what other positions of responsibility may be reserved for PAA nominees. The parties agreed that upon Ruto ascending to power, he would revert port operations to Mombasa from the inland depots in Nairobi and Naivasha.
“To this end, the necessary administrative and legislative measures shall be undertaken within a year effective August 9, 2022,” the agreement states.
Further, the parties agreed that the government would put in place necessary reforms to ensure the port of Lamu brings measurable employment and other economic benefits to the communities.
They also agreed to revive cashew nuts, coconut and Bixa industries, especially in the coastal region as well as involve the community in the management and benefit sharing of resources associated with the blue economy.
In addition, the parties agreed that the government would review the Coast Guard Act and other laws to enhance the protection of local communities’ finishing and other economic activities.
“Address historical land injustices, especially at the Coast including necessary reforms of relevant laws and the setting up of a land compensation fund,” the documents state.