Dynamics and Complexities of Forming the Executive Office: Analysis of Kenya's Cabinet 1963 - 2018
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajppa.364Keywords:
Cabinet ministers, Constitution of Kenya, Gender, Ethnicity, Politics, and CompetenceAbstract
For any government, formation and selection of executive office is influenced by myriads of factors and considerations, defined by both national and global dynamics. Although the Constitution of Kenya (CoK, 2010) offers guiding principles on design of the Cabinet, its current formation and structure remains under contention. This study analyzed; ethnic, gender, size, and individual dynamics that have informed the structure and organization of the Kenyan cabinet. A survey of executive office of the president staff and knowledge experts in politics, public policy and administration was carried out. Semi structured questionnaires were employed and interviews conducted to collect data. This was complemented by secondary data from published books, journals, and archival government documents. The study found that (1) politics in Kenya is highly ethnicized and the most significant determining factor in the making of cabinet; (2) Majority of communities remain historically marginalized and are not represented in the cabinet; (3) Gender parity in cabinet is hampered by strong cultural attitudes on gender roles and the low political influence of women as an electorate. Attitudes of male superiority were found to be prevalent and their leadership preferred; (4) that on average, although cabinet has highly educated members, most of them have not been professionally matched to their respective ministerial portfolio. The study findings could be of interest and benefit to policy makers towards understanding and creating policies guiding organization and structure of government. Ethnicity being a significant feature of Kenyan politics we propose cultivation of diversity towards "˜real' inclusivity by equitable national resource distribution.
Downloads
References
Adegoroye, G. (2015). Restoring Good Governance in Nigeria, Vol 1. The Civil Service Pathway, Lagos: Kachifo Limited
Ardanaz, M. & Scartascini, C. (2013) the economic effects of constitutions: do budget institutions make forms of government more alike? IDB working paper series No. IDB-WP-427, August 2013. Washington D.C: Inter-American Development Bank
Aristotle (1905). Aristotle's Politics. Oxford: Claredon Press
Amutabi, M. N (2009). Beyond Imperial Presidency in Kenya: Interrogating the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki Regimes and Implications for Democracy and Development in, Kenya Studies Review, 1 (1), 55 - 84
ARC (2009). Second Administrative Reforms Commission; Organizational Structure of Government of India, Thirteenth Report
Bagaka, O., (2011). Restructuring The Provincial Administration: an Insider's View. Constitution Working Paper Series No. 3. Nairobi: Society for International Development
Bardach, E. (2009). A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving 3rd Edition, Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press. ISBN 978-0-87289-952-0
Branch, D. & Cheeseman, N. (2006). The Politics of Control In Kenya: Understanding The Bureaucratic-Executive State, 1952 - 78 In, Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 33, No. 107, State, Class & Civil Society In Africa (Mar., 2006), pp. 11 - 31 ROAPE Publications Ltd.
Carson, J. (2003). From Moi to Kibaki: An Assessment of the Kenya Transition, In: Africa Program Occasional Paper Series, No. 1 September 11 2003. Woodrow Wilson international centre for scholars
CIA (2015) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ [accessed] 11/06/2016
CKRC (2003, September) Verbatim Report of Plenary Proceedings Held In The Plenary Hall At National Constitutional Conference, Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.
CKRC (2005, November). The Final Report of Technical Working Group "D" On the Executive, approved for issue at the 110th Plenary Meeting At The National Constitutional Conference, Bomas Of Kenya, Nairobi
Colonial Reports (1933). Annual Report on The Social And Economic Progress of The People Of The Kenya Colony And Protectorate, 1933 No. 1688. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office
Dahl, R. A. (1947). The Science of Public Administration: Three Problems, Public Administration Review, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Winter, 1947) pp 1 - 11. American Society for Public Administration (online) http://www.jstor.org/stable/972349
Easton, D. (1957). An approach to the analysis of political systems, world politics, Cambridge University press 9, (3), 383 - 400.
Easton, D. (1965). A Framework for Political Analysis, Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Elazar, D. (1973). Government in Biblical Israel. Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, 13/14, pp 105-123. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23257284
Elisher, S. (2008). Ethnic Coalitions of Convenience and Commitment: Political Parties and Party Systems in Kenya. GIGA Working Papers No. 68 February 2008. Hamburg: GIGA German Institute of Global Area Studies (online) http://www.giga-hamburg.de/workingpapers
Escobar-Lemmon, M. C. & Taylor-Robinson, M. M. (2009). Do Cabinet Ministers In Presidential Systems Have Experience In Their Portfolio Or Is On-The-Job Training The Norm? Paper presented at the International Political Science Association Meeting,
Esman, M. J. (1997) Public Administration, Ethnic Conflict, and Economic Development, Public Administration Review, 57 (6), 527 - 533
Fairlie, J. A. (1913). The President's Cabinet In. The American Political Science Review.7 (1), 28 - 44
Flores, A. Q. (2015). United States of America: The Cabinet, The Selection Of Ministers Around the World Eds. Keith Dowding and Patrick Dumont pp 283 - 296.
Gaus, J. M. (1988). The Ecology of Public Administration. Public Administration-Concepts and Cases.
Government of Kenya (2008) National Assembly, Official Report Wednesday 14th May 2008 pp 1001 - 1021 Kenya Parliament Hansard. Nairobi: Government Printer
Government of Kenya (2013). Organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya, May 2013, Office of the President, Executive Order No.2 2/2013. Nairobi: Government Printers
Government of Kenya (2018). Organization of the Government of the Republic of Kenya, June 2018, Office of the President, Executive Order No.1 2018. Nairobi: Government Printers
Heady, F. (1996). Public Administration: A Comparative Perspective 5th Edition. ISBN 9780585082066. New York: CRC Press (online) https://www.scribd.com/
Heritage Foundation (2014). The Index of Economic Freedom. Washington D.C: Heritage Foundation
Institute of Economic Affairs (2017) Budget Analysis 2017, March 2017 [online] www.ieakenya.or.ke
Kenyatta, U. M. (2015). Speech by His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H., President and Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya on the Re-Organization of Government, November 24 2015 (online) http://www.President.go.ke/
Kenyatta, U. M. (2018) President Kenyatta's Statement on The New Cabinet, January 26 2018 (online) http://www.president.go.ke/2018/01/26/president-kenyattas-statement-on-the-new-cabinet/
Khapoya, V. B. (1980) Kenya under Moi: Continuity or Change? In, Africa Today, Vol. 27, No 1, Salute to Independence in Zimbabwe (1st Qtr. 1980), pp 17 - 32 Indiana: Indiana University Press http://www.jstor.org/stable/4185903 11/06/2016
Khera, S. S. (1975) The Central Executive. New Delhi: Orient Longman pp 166 - 67
Kifordu, H. A. (2015) Nigeria: Cabinet Dynamics amid Structural Changes in a Post-Colonial State, in, The Selection of Ministers Around the World Eds. Keith Dowding and Patrick Dumont pp 197 - 222. ISBN: 9781315757865 London and New York: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group
King J. D. & Riddlesperger J. W. Jr (2012) Replacing Cabinet Officers: Political Factors Affecting Presidential Choices. Paper presented at annual meeting of The Western Political Science Association, Portland, Oregon.
Kivuva, J. M., (2011). Restructuring the Kenyan State. Constitution Working Paper Series No. 1. Nairobi: Society for International Development (SID)
KNBS (2010) Kenya Population and Housing Census 2009, August 2010. Nairobi: Government printers
Krook, M. L. & O'brien D. Z. (2012). All the President's Men? The Appointment Of Female Cabinet Ministers Worldwide, The Journal of Politics, Vol. 74, No. 3, July 2012 pp 840 - 855. Southern Political Science Association
Kumar, S. (2011). Indian Perspectives of Administrative Culture. Indian Journal of Public Administration, 57 (1): 117-126
Learned, H. B (1909). historical significance of the term "cabinet" in England and the United States, The American Political Science Review, Vol, 3. No. 3 (Aug, 1909) pp 329 - 346 [online] https://www.jstor.org/stable/1945680 accessed 14 08 2018
Lyles, L. D. (2013). The Role of Wealth and Neoliberalism in Barrack Obama's Selection, Election, and Presidency, The Journal of Pan African Studies, Vol. 6, No. 6 pp 277 - 302
Machiavelli, Niccolò, (1950) The Prince and the Discourses. New York: Modern Library
Maxon, R. (2009). Constitution Making In Contemporary Kenya: Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Kenya Studies Review Volume 1, Number 1, December 2009 pp 11 - 30 Nairobi: Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESS)
Michael, B. & Popov, M. (2011). The Size and Structure of Government. Munich University library. Munich Personal RePEc archive (online) https://mpra.ub.unimuenchen.de/53283/1/MPRA_paper_53283.pdf
Mitullah, W. (2003). Gender Inclusion in Transition Politics: A Review and Critique of Women's Engagement, The Politics of Transition in Kenya, From KANU to NARC Eds. Oyugi W. O, Wanyande, P. &, Odhiambo-Mbai, C. pp. 212 - 234 Nairobi: Heinrich Boll Foundation
Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, Baron de, 1689-1755. (1823). The Spirit of Laws. London: Printed for J. Collingwood
Mukoro, A. (2005). The Impact of the Environment on Nigeria's Public Administration. Journal of Human Ecology, 17 (2): 117 - 122
Ngec (2015). Proposals for Situating Mechanisms for Addressing the Constitutional Gains of Special Interest Groups in the Executive by Winfred Lichuma, Chairperson NGEC. Nairobi
Nkolenyi, C. (2015). India: The Selection and De-Selection of Cabinet Ministers, The Selection Of Ministers Around the World Eds. Keith Dowding and Patrick Dumont pp 99 - 115. ISBN: 9781315757865 London and New York: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group
Nyanjom, O., (2011) Devolution in Kenya's current constitution. Constitution Working Paper Series No. 4. Nairobi: Society for International Development (SID)
Orvis, S. (2001). Moral Ethnicity and Political Tribalism in Kenya's "˜Virtual Democracy'. In: African Issues, Vol 29, (1) 8 - 13
Peters, B. G. (1985). The Structure and Organization of Government: Concepts and Issues. Journal of Public Policy, 5 (1).
Plato (1943). Plato's The Republic. New York: Books, Inc.
Sihanya, B. (2011). The Presidency and Public Authority in Kenya's Current constitutional Order. Constitution Working Paper Series No. 2. Nairobi: Society for International Development
Smith, R. A. (2012) The Fine Art of Cabinet-Making: Five Ways To Build A Stronger Executive Team. Policy Brief, Progressive Policy Institute
Timsit, G. (1982) Public Administration and Socio-Cultural Environment in the Developing Countries. UNESCO Public Administration and Management: Problems of Adaptation in Different Socio-Cultural Contexts pp 37 - 53 New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. Retrieved from http://books.google.com
Wanjala, E. (2018). Cabinet Administrative Secretaries: Was Uhuru rewarding 2017 election backers? Nairobi: the Nairobi Star (online) https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018/01/27/chief-administrative-secretaries-was-uhuru-rewarding-2017-election_c1704644 [accessed] 28/06/2018
World Bank (2015) (online) http://data.worldbank.org/country [accessed] 06/06/2016
Woodrow, Wilson (1887). The Study of Public Administration, Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 2 [accessed] https://www.jstor.org/stable/2139277
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
