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Coalition government vows to hold together
Published on May 10, 2008, 12:00 am
By Peter Opiyo
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga read the Riot Act – the Grand Coalition Government must
be a working machine that would survive five years. It was the day Kibaki and Raila strove to break the walls
of suspicion and silent wars among their members, now crammed up in one Government.
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The message on the lip, apart from the portfolio sharing and
protocol wars, was, "we are one team!’’ Kibaki cast himself as
President of Kenya, not the PNU leader. Raila said he was the
PM of Kenya, not ODM.
The Government was literally under one roof – the President, the
PM, the Vice-President, two Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers,
Assistant Ministers and Permanent Secretaries. The agenda on
the table was bonding and the formula for sticking together for the
next five years.
The leaders of the Party of National Unity and the Orange
Democratic Movement, which grudgingly accepted to work
together to stop post-election bloodletting, tried to whip their
members into line. They called on them to speak in one voice and
away from the camera to assure the nation the country was on a
reconciliation course.
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Cabinet ministers Paul Otuoma
(Fisheries) and Mr Wycliffe Oparanya
(Planning) and Assistant minister for
Defence David Musila leave the Kenya
School of Monetary Studies, the venue of
the meeting.
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Picture: Collins Kweyu
The message on the lip, apart from the portfolio sharing and protocol wars, was, "we are one team!’’ Kibaki
cast himself as President of Kenya, not the PNU leader. Raila said he was the PM of Kenya, not ODM.
The Government was literally under one roof – the President, the PM, the Vice-President, two Deputy Prime
Ministers, Ministers, Assistant Ministers and Permanent Secretaries. The agenda on the table was bonding
and the formula for sticking together for the next five years.
The leaders of the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, which grudgingly accepted
to work together to stop post-election bloodletting, tried to whip their members into line. They called on them
to speak in one voice and away from the camera to assure the nation the country was on a reconciliation
course.
They also extolled the virtues of collective responsibility as well as dedicated and selfless service to the
nation.
The leaders appeared to have shed the protocol confusion between Raila and Vice-President Mr Kalonzo
Musyoka. The PM spoke before the President. Kalonzo will oversee the closing ceremony today. The
opening session was open to journalists, and then the closed-door phase began where the leaders were
expected to speak candidly.
"Let us not forget where we have come from, and the brighter future a new Kenya that we all want to achieve
… We want Kenya to enjoy a stable, coalition partnership and to achieve real economic and social
transformation for all Kenyans spearheaded by this coalition," said Kibaki.
Opening the induction programme that ends today, Kibaki called for integrity, saying those who shall be
implicated in corruption must step aside.
The President said there was no room for failure; the coalition arrangement has worked for other countries of
the world. He also laid the ground rule; grumbling in public is unacceptable. This he said was undermining the
principles of the Grand Coalition Government and sending the wrong signals.
"We are members of one Government, colleagues in Cabinet, and as such we should always feel free to
reach out to one another for consultations, instead of commenting on important national issues through the
Press," said Kibaki.
Speaking in one voice, he noted, should also be reflected in the transaction of Government business with
development partners, especially with regard to public policy.
Kenyans, he said have high expectations and would want to see an end to poverty, ignorance and disease.
"Insecurity, inequality and tribalism, are top on the public’s agenda. I therefore urge for integrity and passion
for excellence among the ministers in handling public affairs," he said.
The President said ministers and other public officers found engaging in corruption would be required to
resign to allow for investigation.
"You will be expected to treat Kenyans equally and to ensure that corruption and misuse of public resources
does not take place under your watch. In this regard you would also be expected to step aside to allow for
investigation, should your names be mentioned adversely with regard to corrupt or other unethical conduct."
All ministers, their assistants and the PSs he said, should familiarise themselves with the Public Officers
Ethic Act and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, to give better services to the public.
In a reconciliatory mood, Kibaki spoke of the urgent need for national cohesion and collective responsibility
on Government matters and policies that have been agreed on by the Cabinet.
"We are leaders at a time of Kenyans’ greatest need for patriotic and selfless leadership that will save our
country from destruction, heal its wounds and reconcile its people, and give the impetus towards its deserved
place in posterity as a great nation," said the President.
He reminded the Cabinet to observe confidentiality of Government business as they swore in their oaths of
allegiances last month, when they took up their ministerial positions.
In his speech that mainly dwelt on service delivery, the ministers and their assistants were asked to take
parliamentary business seriously and maintain a record attendance and performance.
"It is imperative that you should set standards of attendance and performance during the Tenth Parliament
that will surpass those experienced in years," said Kibaki.
The President exuded optimism that the Grand Coalition Government would sail the waters if it gets all the
ministers’ support irrespective of their political backgrounds.
Kibaki said many countries have formed formidable socio-political base as a result of coalitions.
"I don’t see why Kenya should fail," he said.
The varied policies by the coalition partners, Kibaki noted would be instrumental in addressing the country’s
challenges.
He revisited the unprecedented post-poll upheavals that claimed over 1,000 lives and uprooted more than
350,000 from their homes, saying it should be a guiding principle towards a better Kenya.
He complimented the 10-member National Accord Implementation Committee for the work it has done in
trying to mitigate the effects of the skirmishes.
Among the successes of the committee is the ongoing resettlement of thousands of internal refugees and
harmonisation of the coalition parties’ policies into a single five-year plan under the ‘Vision 2030’.
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