Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi accuses Felix Koskei of fuelling rift with Moses Kuria
Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi has now trained his guns on Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, escalating a tussle with his Public Service counterpart Moses Kuria over the role and location of their offices.
In a strongly worded statement to the press yesterday, Mr Mudavadi's de facto spokesperson, Kibisu Kabatesi, accused Mr Koskei of fuelling the tug-of-war between the two ministers by overstepping his mandate.
Mr Kabatesi, who is the Government's Secretary for Strategic Communications, said portfolio allocation was the prerogative of the President and could not be usurped by a civil servant, in this case Mr Koskei.
The veteran Mudavadi aide said any civil servant who purports to allocate ministerial positions or portfolios is misguided.
"Such action can be attributed to enthusiastic flights of fancy; the import of such misadventure is to sow disorder and discord among members of the Cabinet with the intention of disorienting the collective responsibility of the Cabinet," Mr Kabatesi said.
A circular by Mr Koskei informed all ministries and state departments to take note of their designated headquarters and to ensure compliance.
As a result, the Old Treasury Building along Harambee Avenue was designated as the office of the PCS and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. On the other hand, the Kenya Railways Headquarters on Haile Selassie Avenue, previously designated as the PCS office, will now be occupied by the Ministry of Public Service under CS Kuria.
But the PCS’ office has objected to the new location, saying its office will remain at the Kenya Railways Headquarters.
Yesterday, Mr Kabatesi downplayed any tussle with CS Kuria.He argued that Mudavadi has been squatting in the Treasury building pending the completion of the renovation of his office at the Railways headquarters.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi makes his address during the signing of Ministerial Performance Contracts for FY 2023/2024 officiated by President William Ruto at State House on August 1, 2023.
"To therefore claim that the Treasury Building is designated as the office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs is to confuse the public evidence in the Executive Order No 1 of January 2023 which designates the office at the Kenya Railways Headquarters,” Mr Kabatesi said.
This means that until and unless Executive Order No 1 of January 2023 is revoked by H.E. President Dr William Ruto through another Executive Order, the status quo will remain," he added.
Mr Kuria also sought to downplay any bad blood between him and Mr Mudavadi.
“Contrary to reports there is absolutely no tug-of-war between myself and my senior and close friend Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi,” he said.
