Former presidential adviser Moses Kuria has said Kenya’s current political landscape could eventually lead to the adoption of an expanded Executive, arguing that both the government and the opposition may find the arrangement necessary despite publicly opposing it.
In a statement shared on Sunday, Kuria said the country’s political dynamics make it increasingly difficult for either side to sustain the current Executive structure.
“Both sides of the political divide will pretend to dismiss this. They will call it looking for jobs for the boys. The truth of the matter is that the math is not mathing for both sides. They both need an expanded Executive with a Prime Minister and two Deputies besides the President and the Deputy President,” Kuria said.
He expressed confidence that proposals contained in the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report would soon be tabled in Parliament and receive bipartisan backing.
“So let us not dramatise this. The NADCO Executive Structure will be introduced in Parliament shortly. It will receive bipartisan support in record time,” he added.
Kuria further argued that such reforms would validate proposals contained in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which had recommended the creation of the offices of Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers.
“Uhuru Kenyatta in life and Baba posthumously will be vindicated on BBI,” he said.
NADCO proposals
The National Dialogue Committee was established in 2023 following bipartisan talks between the Kenya Kwanza administration and the Azimio coalition after months of political protests.
Co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, the committee made recommendations on electoral reforms, governance, constitutional implementation and measures aimed at easing political tensions.
Among the issues discussed was the possibility of constitutional changes, including reforms to the structure of the Executive, although any such amendments would require parliamentary approval and, where necessary, a referendum.
Expanded Executive debate
The proposal to expand the Executive has featured prominently in Kenya’s constitutional reform debates in recent years.
The Building Bridges Initiative had proposed creating the positions of Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers alongside the President and Deputy President, with supporters arguing the arrangement would promote inclusivity and reduce post-election disputes.
However, the BBI process was halted after the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court declared the constitutional amendment process unconstitutional.
As of now, Parliament has not passed any legislation creating the offices of Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Ministers, and the current constitutional structure remains unchanged.
