Uhuru makes key changes in Water and Interior ministries

President Uhuru Kenyatta. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i will be charged with coordinating delivery of national priorities and flagship programmes.
  • At the same time, Irrigation department has also been curved from the Agriculture ministry to that of Water headed by Mr Simon Chelugui.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday made changes in the structure of the Executive, reorganising State departments and agencies to facilitate implementation of Big Four Agenda.

In the changes, the President merged State departments for Irrigation with Water and Sanitation and Interior with Citizen Services.

In the changes, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i will be charged with coordinating delivery of national priorities and flagship programmes.

The changes contained in Executive order number six of 2019, a follow up of the one issued at the beginning of the year, gives the CS powers affecting more state corporations and day to day running of government.

INTEGRATION

“To foster the integration of the functions of Registration of Persons and the functions of Immigration, the State Department for Interior and the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services are merged to establish the state department for interior and citizen services. The State Department for Interior & Citizen Services shall be domiciled within the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government,” reads the order.

Early in the year, Mr Kenyatta appointed Dr Matiang’i chairman of National Development Implementation and Communication Committee made up of all ministers.

Dr Matiang’i will also lead efforts of achieving national cohesion.

BIG FOUR

At the same time, Irrigation department has also been curved from the Agriculture ministry to that of Water headed by Mr Simon Chelugui.

“To enhance synergy within the Water Sector, which is a key enabler for the implementation of the “Big Four”, the State Department for Irrigation is merged with the State Department for Water and Sanitation to establish the ministry of water & sanitation and irrigation,” the president said.