Former Lungalunga MP Khatib Abdallah Mwashetani said the government cannot do without Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) in every Ministry.
Mwashetani who was appointed as Health CAS before the role was expunged by the court, said the roles bestowed on every Cabinet Secretary are overwhelming and there should be assistants to back the Cabinet Secretaries in executing their mandates properly and satisfactorily.
Speaking in Mombasa, Mwashetani said Kenya Kwanza Government may face hurdles and various Cabinet Secretaries fail to properly perform their duties because of how they will be running the Ministries single-handedly.
He added that a Cabinet Secretary is in charge of the entire country and for them to actively engage with the communities at the grassroots level, they need a back-up who is the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS).
“I know the courts scrapped them off however, they need to be relooked into. The Assistant Ministers played critical roles in ensuring both the Cabinet and their Principal Secretaries execute their mandate well and that they have the required assistance,” he said.
The courts halted the appointment of the CAS, stating that the positions were unconstitutionally formed.
President William Ruto had appointed 51 CAS among them Mwashetani who was appointed the Health CAS.
However, immediately after they were sworn in to take up the roles in various Ministries and State departments, a case was presented in court challenging their appointment, the positions were quashed.
Since then, President Ruto has been appointing his political allies to take up different roles in his Kenya Kwanza government.
Many of his confidants have enjoyed slots in the government clinching Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Parastatals heads among other public service positions.
