Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei speaking at a past event/ SAMSON CHERARGEI XNandi Senator Samson Cherargei has ignited debate on the expansion of government to accommodate the diverse nature of the country.
To achieve this goal, the senator has proposed that the Executive be expanded to consist of President, Deputy President, Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime ministers.
While addressing the House on Tuesday, the senator said that the move will help end the jostling for power during presidential campaigns where winner takes all.
“Even as these bills of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) are being processed, we must broaden and widen the Executive. The fact that the current constitution, the Executive has only the President and the Deputy President will not accommodate our diverse nature of Kenya,” he said.
“The reason we have heightened campaigns jostling and pushing for executive power is because the winner takes it all and there are only two positions.”
According to Cherargei, the Nadco report tabled in Parliament will help to address the issue for equity.
“I hope in the Nadco report where among the bills being discussed, we must have an expanded Executive where we have the President, the Deputy President, executive Prime Minister and we have two Deputy Prime ministers. We should have leadership that is clear.”
The senator further said that members of Parliament should be appointed to the Cabinet.
“I do not see the need to appoint a member of parliament, they resign, we go for by-election and the country incurs expenses. Let us allow MPs to be appointed to the cabinet, we give them sitting allowances in the cabinet and save salaries.”
According to senator Cherargei, if the Nadco report passes, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will continue to serve the country as the prime minister.
He lauded him for the good job he is doing with President William Ruto, saying that it will unify the country.
“We want the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to continue serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya going into the future, and they are doing good work with the President,” Cherargei said.
The legislator has on several occasions drummed up support for Raila to occupy the seat in that capacity should the Nadco report pass.
He said Raila should be allowed to serve the country in that capacity, insisting that his experience and leadership should not be allowed to waste away.
"We must now fully implement the Nadco report by amending the Constitution 2010 to create the office of the Prime Minister (PM) and allow Baba Raila Odinga to serve Kenyans in that capacity,” Cherargei said on X in February.
Nadco was co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka from the Azimio coalition and Kimani Ichung'wah from the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Nadco recommended the formation of the establishment of the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition with at least two deputies.
This would be the leader of the largest party or coalition of political parties that garnered the second-greatest number of votes in the immediately preceding presidential elections.
The Nadco report further recommended the establishment of the Office of the Prime Minister who would be nominated and, upon approval by the National Assembly, appointed by the President.
Other recommendations included an audit of the 2022 Electoral Process, the cost of living, entrenching of funds into the constitution, and fidelity to the law on multiparty democracy.
