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 .

A remodelled Ministry of Youth Empowerment & Sports would serve as a holding ground for young men and women waiting for employment in other sectors of the economy, and would include National Youth Service (NYS) with redefined roles.

The NYS would be the first point where private and public institutions would go to hire already disciplined and skilled youth labour as happened in the 1960/70s.

The NYS would also engage as sub-contractors to provide organised labour to various projects like roads and irrigation among others.

This resource can also be effectively engaged during national disasters.

The recent acquisition of machinery for NYS by the President from China is an indicator of what should be done.

Village polytechnics would suitably fall under this ministry as a nucleus for skills building .

Ministry of Industrialisation should be coupled with internal and external trade so as to obtain maximum synergy in policy and strategy.

The target would be to re-populate our industrial areas in various cities and towns with both large and small scale industries including Jua Kali activities .

The driving objective should be to substitute imports with high quality locally manufactured goods.

A new Ministry of National Disaster Management is long overdue.

This ministry would professionalise approach to emergency and disaster preparedness and response.

Disasters have found Kenya unprepared with haphazard approach to mobilisation of resources.

Becomes redundant

This ministry will ensure that every sector of the economy has in place an emergency preparedness plan and will also hold the budgets and organisation for responding to emergencies .

Geological extractive activities like oil and gas, coal, geothermal and minerals are best placed under one Ministry of Energy and Mines.

A new Ministry of Devolved Governments Coordination would be transitional for about five years to permit the devolved structures to find their ground and develop capacity.

This ministry has a coordinating role only and becomes the link with the central government.

In a way, it would involve re-branding the Ministry of Local Government with new roles in line with the new constitution.

Some ministries like Gender, Northern Kenya, Regional Development will become redundant if the provisions of the new constitution are sufficiently followed and implemented and if duplication and inter-ministerial conflicts are to be avoided.

The children’s department being mainly legal in issues can be anchored under Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs or Home Affairs.

Perhaps the current government can appoint a team of experts to recommend the best ministerial set-up to be adopted in post-2012 government for maximum impact .

This will certainly stem the temptation of trying to create ministries to fit individuals, instead of the other way round.

Wachira works for Petroleum Focus Consultants. E-mail: wachira@ petroleumfocus.com