MP At Pains To Explain Why Felix Koskei Chaired Cabinet Secretaries’ Meeting; What Does The Law Say?
Tetu Member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Wandeto was a hot-seat victim on Monday as he failed to elucidate why Head of Public Service Felix Koskei chaired a meeting attended by Cabinet Secretaries (CS).
This was after Koskei chaired a “Whole-of-Nation meeting” on March 21, 2024, which was attended by Cabinet Secretaries Susan Nakhumicha (Health), Florence Bore (Labour), Moses Kuria (Public Service) and Njuguna Ndung’u (Treasury).
The meeting was convened to iron out the ongoing tiff between the health workers and the government.
Responding to the anomaly during Citizen TV’s Daybreak show, Wandeto argued that Koskei chaired the meeting because he ranks higher than CSs and that he is the secretary to the Cabinet.
“If you look at his position as the head of Civil Service some of the things we are dealing with are ministry issues and he is a much more senior person,” he said.
His argument was however vetoed by the show’s host Sam Gituku who asked him how the Head of Public Service occupies a higher position than a Cabinet Secretary.
Wandeto, now stuttering, said: “He is a rank more or less the same but I think even in terms of representing the government.”
“To be honest I do not want to get into who is more senior.”
Attempting to salvage Wandeto’s precipice, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei said that the meeting was set to debunk a matter ailing public servants that solicited Koskei’s presence.
“Some of the doctors are public servants so it’s a public service issue because you have to look at the HR in re-negotiating the progression of doctors in the public service,” she noted.
Dictates by the law
Despite the legislators finding it hard to give a coherent argument, Gossipa2z.com has attempted to debunk the conundrum.
First, Wandeto was wrong to say that Koskei is the secretary to the cabinet as we can verify that Mercy Wanjau is the rightful occupant of the position.
According to Article 154 of the Constitution Wanjau is mandated with taking charge of the cabinet office, taking minutes of a Cabinet meeting, conveying the decisions of the Cabinet to the appropriate persons or authorities, and undertaking other functions as advised by the Cabinet.
Article 152 (1) of the Constitution also stipulates that the Cabinet comprises the President, Deputy President, Attorney General, and not fewer than 14 or more than 22 CSs.
Only the President chairs a cabinet meeting while the DP chairs cabinet committee meetings that are ordinarily held at his official residence in Karen.
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On the day of the referenced meeting, Koskei took to his X account noting that he was directed by the Labour and Employment Court to address the perennial labor relation issues in the health sector.
This poses a question under what law does he acquire the mandate to chair a meeting yet there is no law establishing his office?
The latter can be backed by an original amendment Bill dated November 24, 2023, tabled by majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah seeking the establishment of the office of the Head of Public Service.
As it stands now the Head of Public Service serves under the pleasure of the appointing authority.
“The Head of the Public Service shall support the President in facilitating the organization and execution of government business,” reads part of the Bill seen by Gossipa2z.com.
MP At Pains To Explain Why Felix Koskei Chaired Cabinet Secretaries’ Meeting; What Does The Law Say?