Heated Debate as Wetangula Rules on legality of Mudavadi's PM Post

Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula has ruled that the position of Prime Cabinet Secretary was legally constituted.

President William Ruto appointed ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi as the Prime CS, a position he said is third senior-most after that of the President and Deputy President. 

In a committing sitting vetting Mudavadi, Azimio MPs raised concerns on the legality of the position forcing Wetangula to issue a ruling.

"The President nominated 22 Cabinet Secretaries including the Prime Cabinet Secretary. In this regard, the office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary finds its Constitutional basis under article 152 (1) (d) of the Constitution and the nominee, if approved, will be one of the Cabinet Secretaries," stated Wetangula.

Wetungula stated that the president had the right to choose the title of CS and assign him a specific role as he had done by appointing Mudavadi for the role.

"The President assigned specific roles to the office of the Prime CS including coordinating and supervising of the Ministries and State departments.

"It is within the powers of the President to designate the title and assign functions to a CS. To this end, the designation of Prime CS is not inconsistent with any provision of the Law and therefore the designation is properly legally and Constitutionally grounded," he ruled.

Mudavadi is the first Cabinet Secretary to be vetted by the Parliamentary committee.

Others to be vetted today are former Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Kandara MP Alice Wahome