Mixed reactions over Ngilu, Balala nomination

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga (Right) with Naivasha ODM chairman Peter ole Osono (center) and Joseph Nkaiseri (second left) at Naivasha's Great Rift Lodge on April 15, 2013. PHOTO / BILLY MUTAI 

 

By NATION REPORTERS

In Summary

• Bishop Beneah Salala of the Anglican Church of Kenya (Mumias) said the move portrayed President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto as untrustworthy leaders.
• ACK Mombasa Diocese Bishop Julius Kalu reiterated his counterpart's position and urged the president to “stop appointing politicians” and stick to the promise that only professionals would be appointed.

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Church leaders have criticised the nomination of former Cabinet ministers Najib Balala and Charity Ngilu to the Cabinet.

Bishop Beneah Salala of the Anglican Church of Kenya (Mumias) said the move portrayed President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto as untrustworthy leaders.

“They told Kenyans that their Cabinet will feature only professionals whose mandate will be to deliver services to Kenyans in their respective dockets clearly delinked from politics but their action leaves a lot to be desired,” he said.

He added that the nomination of Mr Davis Chirchir, a former official of Ruto’s United Republican party, further tainted the leadership credentials of both leaders.

“We expected development agenda to be delinked from politics and instead the President and his deputy have done exactly what their predecessors did in the past.”

Bishop Salala said the nomination should have been based on integrity, regional balance and gender.

He said: “Whereas the gender aspect has been addressed in the new look cabinet, regional balance and integrity principles were overlooked.”

ACK Mombasa Diocese Bishop Julius Kalu reiterated his counterpart's position and urged the president to “stop appointing politicians” and stick to the promise that only professionals would be appointed.

“I hope Najib Balala and Charity Ngilu are the last politicians to make it to Cabinet. We want professionals to run these positions,” he said Bishop Kalu.

However, Bishop Kalu said not all was lost because the Coastal region could still benefit from Mr Balala’s appointment.

“We have a lot of minerals in the region although the sector has a myriad challenges,” he said.