Transition team busy on power handover, says PS Kibicho

Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho has assured the public that a committee of top officials planning the handover of power to a new President after the August 9 elections is working on the transition.

Dr Kibicho said the immediate concern for now is to ensure that the elections are peaceful.

“We are coming to the end of this administration and by law there is the assumption of office committee that … will start [operating soon] … It will start preparing for handing over power,” he said. Supporters of Kenya Kwanza presidential hopeful and Deputy President William Ruto, led by Garissa Town MP Aden Duale, have been asking why President Uhuru Kenyatta has avoided appointing a substantive secretary to the Cabinet.

Acting capacity

Mr Kenyatta dropped Francis Kimemia from that role in 2014 and nominated Monica Juma in 2018, but she was rejected by Parliament. Head of Civil Service Joseph Kinyua was then appointed to the role in an acting capacity.

Dr Ruto’s allies argue that the President cannot appoint Mr Kinyua to chair the assumption of office committee without involving Parliament.

Dr Kibicho said he was not worried that someone might move to court to challenge the President’s appointment of Dr Kinyua to oversee the transition.

He said President Kenyatta is at liberty to organise his government the way he deems best.

Dr Kibicho said Kenya Kwanza politicians were publicly disparaging some government officials “instead of inviting us to explain what they feel is not clear to them regarding the policies in place”.