After the Constitution abolished the post of the Head of Public Service and Cabinet to the Secretary and renamed it as Secretary to the Cabinet but with reduced roles, the outgoing Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia has been appointed in the new position.
Kimemia – termed as one of the most controversial Head of Public Service – has been appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta as the Secretary to the Cabinet.
Kimemia becomes the last holder of the office of the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet and the first holder of the office of the Secretary to the Cabinet which was established by the new Constitution.
However, the powers associated with the new office are greatly reduced as compared to the power that was associated with the office of the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet.
Kimemia was appointed the Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet in 2011 by former President Mwai Kibaki in an acting capacity and confirmed in the position close to a year later.
Kimemia took over from Ambassador Francis Kirimi Muthaura who was forced to step down after the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed charges against him.
The charges against Muthaura were later dropped early this year by the Hague-based court where he was charged alongside four other Kenyans.
Even though the position of the Head of Civil Service has been scrapped the public service operations will be supervised by the Ministry of Interior Affairs and National Coordination that will be in the executive office of the Presidency.
Kimemia was appointed alongside Lawrence Lenayapa who has been named the new State House Comptroller.
Until his appointment, Lenayapa was the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in the Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Areas.
Source:citizennews.co.ke
