Cabinet Wars: CS Kuria, Jumwa clash over musicians' payments
Cabinet Secretaries Moses Kuria and Aisha Jumwa.
What you need to know:
- Mr Kuria had on Sunday announced that the government was spearheading amendments to the Copyright Act to create a government-run Collective Management Organization (CMO) to address challenges facing Kenyan artists.
- On Monday, however, Ms Jumwa lashed out at Mr Kuria, insisting that she was in charge of the mandate.
Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa on Monday berated her Public Service counterpart Moses Kuria for allegedly interfering in her diary, in an escalation of a power struggle within President William Ruto's administration.
Mr Kuria had on Sunday announced that the government was spearheading amendments to the Copyright Act to create a government-run Collective Management Organization (CMO) to address challenges facing Kenyan artists.
"All music, copyrights and royalties will be paid through E-Citizen. Our artists will be registered individually. They will be able to see online how much money is being collected," Mr Kuria announced on his official X account.
On Monday, however, Ms Jumwa lashed out at Mr Kuria, insisting that she was in charge of the mandate.
"I like the zeal of my colleague and friend Moses Kuria and in the spirit of one government approach this opinion is valid. However, my ministry through the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage is in charge and is working to streamline the industry," Ms Jumwa wrote.
When asked to comment on when the plan will be implemented, Ms. Jumwa would only say that, "everything is good for our artists.
The dispute between President Ruto's close allies is not new.
Mr Kuria has in the past fired salvos perceived to be aimed at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and had also found himself in the wrong books with Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi following President Ruto's government reshuffle last year, according to him the Performance and Delivery Management Docket.
He, however, refuted media reports that he was in a tussle with Mr Mudavadi over office space.
"Contrary to media reports today, there is no tug of war between me and my senior and close friend, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. The PCS will continue to operate from Railway Headquarters and I from Harambee House," Mr Kuria said last year.
The power struggle among President Ruto's lieutenants also follows his claims last year that some Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries lacked information on their dockets.
The president said some of the CSs and PSs were clueless about what was happening in their respective departments and ministries.
"I call many PSs and ask them what is going on here and they have no idea and this is your department, this is the job you have; you are not a messenger, you are not a security person, you are not a photographer, you are not a guard," he said.
"You are the PS or the minister and you don't have information on how you can run a ministry, a department or a parastatal if you don't have information? That is incompetence of the highest order."
Ms Jumwa's scathing attack on Mr Kuria comes at a time when the Cabinet is in disarray following a planned retreat to review its performance.
