{UAH} Standard Digital News - Kenya : Charles Ngilu a pawn in bigger political scheme

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000097128&story_title=ngilu-a-pawn-in-bigger-political-scheme

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Standard Digital News - Kenya : Charles Ngilu a pawn in bigger political scheme

By KIPKOECH TANUI

There are three burning questions we should ask ourselves on this process kicked off by Parliament that could end in the removal of Madam Charity Ngilu fromCabinet. The first is who actually wants her out, why and what is the strategy? Secondly, why was this dyed-in-the-wool politician picked to join the non-politicalCabinet, if ever there can be any as promised by the Constitution, in the first place?

Thirdly, what do President Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto know about this and have they given their blessings for her haranguing in the public glare? Put another way, would the Leader of the Majority Party in Parliament, Mr Adan Duale, speak with the zeal and authority we saw on Wednesday without the blessings, or even in the least, prior knowledge of the two Jubilee leaders?

Not keen

One could argue that since Jubilee is an alliance between Uhuru's The National Alliance (TNA), and Ruto's United Republican Party (URP) we should actually look at the Ngilu affair as more of an Uhuru rather than Ruto issue. Why? Because as far as we know, Ruto wasn't keen on appointing political actors to the Cabinet, but Uhuru who felt deeply indebted to the political windsock called Charity and Mr Najib Balala, gave them Cabinet portfolios from the pre-agreed TNA list.

There are several possibilities since politics is defined in political science classes as the art of the possible. Let us start with the most unlikely that Uhuru, for it can't be Ruto who is pushing her out otherwise he risks antagonising the President with whom he shares The Hague's umbilical cord, genuinely is aggrieved that thisCabinet Secretary acted in breach of theConstitution.

See, Ngilu either naively or most likely in her usual abrasive and daredevil disposition, according to a Parliamentary Lands Committee, flouted the Constitutionby establishing the office of the Director of Lands. It also accused her of illegally revoking a gazette notice in pursuit of what the team described as 'irregular and unconstitutional' appointments.

So we may to take as a matter of fact that both the President and Parliament are seething with anger over this action on the singular grounds of unconstitutionalism. But could this be true? Let us go back to a few weeks ago: the President picked former Naivasha MP John Mututho to head the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada). "I appoint John Mututho the chairman of the Nacada board for a period of three years. The appointment of Dr Frank Njenga is revoked," decreed the President in a special Kenya Gazette issue.

Mr Mututho had not been cleared byParliament and so in essence the President also flouted the law. If he found Ngilu's action so offending, and assuming he is the one who let the hounds out to chase Ngilu around, then he would have been equally taken aback by his own action of appointing Mr Joseph Kinyua to State House's most powerful office after his own, without recourse to the law.  What are we saying here? Simple, that flouting the law is the excuse, but the reason lies somewhere else.

Jubilee whip

So we move to the next question? Would Duale act without the President's prodding or silent nod? The answer is both no and yes.  No because hypothetically, Daule belongs to the Legislative arm of government, and so enjoys some form of independence from the Executive. Yes because Duale is the one holding Jubilee's whip called 'tyranny of numbers' in the House, and he can choose whichever back to flog so long as it does not offend his bosses.

The last question is why was Ngilu picked against all reason in the first place? Obviously, she was going to politick soon, it is simply impossible to wean a former Presidential candidate and party leader, a scrambler for the title of regional political kingpin, and long-serving Cabinetminister.

But by oscillating between Uhuru and Mr Raila Odinga then back to Uhuru during the last weeks to March 4 election, Ngilu cheapened her premium as an alliance partner. However, in the short-term she helped Jubilee overcome the image that it was largely a Kikuyu-Kalenjin political bulldozer. She also somehow, even if it did not translate to votes, help Uhuru-Ruto to balance  out the image that Kambas and the female constituency were out of their reach.

That is why there are those who argue that Mama Rainbow was just a flower girl and with elections long gone, the Jubilee honeymoon gone, and reality that four years to the next election is not a long time, this flower from Ukambani has just withered.

So probably we could then argue that Uhuru is thinking of new 'friends' to help him stabilise the ship, keep Ruto on a short leash, and lay ground for next election. And if you doubt it,  consider the fact that in order for the Uhuru project to pick up under Mzee Daniel Moi, Mr Mark Too and Prof George Saitoti had to be shoved aside at various times, to pave him way.

The question we should be asking then is whom does Uhuru want to bring into his armpit without squandering the four slots he still has the authority to fill in theCabinet. I believe the four slots will come in handy a year or two to elections. But we can bet there is someone who has been earmarked for the one Ngilu is holding.

The talk by Parliament that it is just disciplining Ngilu ni porojo (propaganda). Let me stick out my neck; watch some predictably unpredictable chap in Wiper! I could be wrong but it does not mean there isn't more to this tyranny of numbers deployed on Ngilu. And if it were true Uhuru is keen on punishing wrong, the security chiefs would be out of office after the Westgate Mall terror attack! 

Standard Digital News - Kenya : Charles Ngilu a pawn in bigger political scheme
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000097128&story_title=ngilu-a-pawn-in-bigger-political-scheme