Parliamentary Chair Unveils Fresh Duties for CASs
On Tuesday, March 19, George Muragara, the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC), clarified that Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) will not have the privilege to present reports to parliament.
Muragara states that the CASs differ from their superiors, the Cabinet Secretaries, as they are not classified as state officers. Their positions were established by Parliament rather than the Public Service Commission.
“They are not state officers since you can not create a state office unless you amend the constitution,” stated Muragara.
Hence, the obligation to report to Parliament in the event of a summons will solely rest with the CS and cannot be passed on to another individual.
As per the chair of the JLAC, it falls within the constitutional mandate of the CS to report to Parliament, and they cannot delegate this responsibility to the CAS.
Muragara further clarified that within the ministry hierarchy, the CAS will hold the third position, following the Cabinet Secretary as the top authority, with the Principal Secretary serving as the second-in-command.
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Further elaboration regarding the function of the CAS elucidates that it will serve as support for the CS, tasked with carrying out duties delegated to them by the CS.
The court has deemed President Ruto’s appointment of over 50 CASs through the CAS position as unconstitutional, leading to its blockage.
Nevertheless, parliament approved for the President to appoint CASs without a specified limit, contrary to their earlier restriction of 22, matching the number of ministries in Kenya.
Furthermore, Member of Parliament Beatrice Elachi from Dagorretti North echoed the sentiment, suggesting that having over 22 Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs) could potentially dilute the specific mandates assigned to each of them.
Elachi, who served as a CAS in the previous administration, observed that at that time, it was simpler for them to fulfill their responsibilities because they collaborated with a single Cabinet Secretary.
However, despite the Parliament okaying the positions, the president has yet to act on it by appointing people to the position.
Parliamentary Chair Unveils Fresh Duties for CASs