Editor's Review

Kuria argued that both the government and opposition have important political interests that need to be accommodated.

Former Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has said the government and opposition need an expanded Executive, arguing that the current political arrangement is creating challenges for both sides. 

In a post shared online, Kuria stated that both sides would likely dismiss the proposal as an attempt to create positions for political allies, but argued that the political arithmetic was a reality both camps were grappling with.

“Both sides of the political divide will pretend to dismiss this. They will call it looking for jobs for the boys. The truth of the matter is that the Math is not mathing for both sides.”

Kuria argued that both the government and opposition have important political interests that need to be accommodated, warning that failing to do so could trigger significant fallout on either side.

“They both need an expanded executive with a Prime Minister and two Deputies besides the President and the Deputy President. Otherwise the thud of the fall-out in both government and opposition will be heard from as far as Mt. Ruwenzori,” he said.

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File image of President William Ruto and former CS Moses Kuria.

He added that the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Executive Structure would soon be introduced in Parliament and receive bipartisan support.

NADCO was established in 2023 following bipartisan talks between the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalitions, with a mandate to develop recommendations on constitutional, legal and policy reforms. 

The committee recommended the establishment and entrenchment of the Office of the Prime Minister in the Constitution to improve coordination of Executive functions. It also proposed entrenching the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition, recognising the role of opposition parties in Kenya’s political system. 

The National Assembly and Senate adopted the NADCO report in February 2024. Parliament subsequently began considering legislative proposals arising from the recommendations, including constitutional amendments and bills relating to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and coordination of national government functions.

Kuria’s remarks revive the debate over the structure of the Executive and the accommodation of competing political interests, with his proposal going beyond the current offices of President and Deputy President to include a Prime Minister and two deputies.