Cord accuses top state officials of grabbing power

 

File | NATION Senators-elect Mutula Kilonzo (left) and James Orengo. The two accused a team of top civil servants of sidelining the PM.By BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com

Posted  Friday, March 22  2013 at  00:00

Cord has accused a team of top civil servants of running government affairs to the exclusion of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.The claim by Cabinet ministers James Orengo and Mutula Kilonzo, both senators-elect, came as the two sides in the political battle differed over the status of the Grand Coalition Government, 17 days after the General Election was held.Mr Orengo (Lands) and Mr Kilonzo stated that Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia was leading a group of government bureaucrats allied to the PNU wing of the Grand Coalition into making decisions on national issues without consulting Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka as required by the Constitution and the National Accord signed in February 2008.

They were referring to the Wednesday night meeting of the National Security Advisory Committee allegedly called to address security threats, after which Mr Kimemia announced restrictions on political gatherings.The same night also Mr Kimemia released a presidential directive for the Treasury to release Sh2.7 billion for subsidised fertilisers.There was also an earlier order for ministers who won other elective seats to resign before being sworn in. Mr Odinga subsequently told ministers to ignore the directive and remain in office until a new government was established.“With the current lacuna, only one side of the government is making decisions without consulting ODM and Wiper who are all partner members of the coalition government. There appears to be a decision to rule through a small cabal of technocrats in PNU,” said Mr Orengo.The Lands minister stated that President Kibaki and PM Odinga were still in charge as joint coalition principals as the country awaits the fate of the election petition by Mr Odinga (Cord’s presidential candidate ) seeking to overturn the declaration of Jubilee’s Uhuru Kenyatta as the president-elect.However, Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi argued that Mr Kimemia, who is leading the Assumption of Office of the President Committee, was exercising legitimate powers.“Whatever authority Mr Kimemia is exercising is derived from the transitional committee which is in charge of how President Kibaki will hand over to the new President,” he said.