Technocrat CSs are out of touch with the people: ANC

The Amani National Congress (ANC) party has thrown its weight behind a proposal in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report that will see the president have the option of picking Cabinet Secretaries from among sitting MPs.

Lugari MP and ANC deputy party leader, Ayub Savula, said the party wants CSs appointed from elected leaders, terming the current trend of appointing ministers from specialists as having failed to yield the desired results.

“The technocrats are not in touch with the people at the grassroots level and elected leaders are best placed to address their issues as CSs,” the legislator said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a political meeting at a Naivasha hotel on Sunday.

“We looked at the clause that says Members of Parliament may be appointed Cabinet Ministers. The word is ‘should and not ‘may’ as outlined in the clause,” he added.

Key among matters the ANC is also concerned about is the president appointing a Judiciary Ombudsman, which the Musalia Mudavadi-led party reckons is an interference of separation of powers between the Judiciary and the Executive.

“We hired a team of lawyers who looked at the document and took us through the details,” pointed out Mr Savula.

Other issues

Others issues that the party will be raising are limiting the power of the Senate, saying it would dilute envisaged gains in the devolved system of governance.

ANC is also concerned about distribution of the positions of Prime Minister and the two deputy premiers, questioning the rationale of them coming from the majority party.

“If they came from the majority party, where is the fair distribution of positions, if we are serious about addressing the issue of winner takes all malady?” posed the legislator.

Speaking during the official opening ceremony National Assembly Minority leader John Mbadi called on the members present to have a candid discussion about the proposed document.

Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio acknowledged that there might be a few issues in the BBI which they will look into and streamline them.

“We are here to look at issues that will help us move the BBI forward and discuss the contentious issues that may halt the process,” he stated.

Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, in a telephone interview, denied being invited.

However, several MPs continued to troop to the meeting, with talks expected to conclude tomorrow.

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