Work with experts to create ministries

Under the new Constitution, the maximum number of government ministries will be 22.

Whereas no modality is spelt out on how to re-align the ministries, it helps to open early debate on the most effective structures that will catalyse socio-economic developments and give early growth impacts.

This will also avoid the surprises which greet Kenyans on the day of a new government inauguration with announcements of new ministries.

I have taken the liberty to suggest an alignment of the 22 ministries in the table provided.

Probably the areas that should be give priority because of their potential to make early and huge impacts in improvement of Kenyans’ lives are agriculture, livestock, industrialisation/trade and youth empowerment.

These areas if highlighted for sufficient funding and focus at all levels, will yield many new jobs for the unemployed and marginalised while at the same time producing positive knock-on effects in other sectors.

Agriculture should be fully empowered to include related activities that are currently controlled by other ministries.

If the Ministry of Co-operatives is disbanded as it should be, then all agricultural marketing co-operatives should be under the Ministry of Agriculture for increased effectiveness.

Irrigation is the other function that should be transferred from Water Ministry to direct stewardship under the Agriculture portfolio, the same way that hydro-power damming is under Energy.

By disbanding the Ministry of Co-operatives it will allow line ministries full responsibility and accountability for produce marketing and value addition.

This will prevent the conflicts we have witnessed in coffee under the Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU) and dairy under the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC).

Financial Saccos can be effectively managed like other financial institutions under the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

Livestock and Fisheries ministry should be separate and be a highly prioritised docket.

This is the office that will mostly transform the lives of pastoralist communities by commercialising their livestock industry into formal ranching via co-operatives to be introduced under it.

In addition to continuing to boost dairy farming the ministry should also promote and commercialise poultry, pig and bee-keeping industries along the lines of organised produce marketing co-operatives .