When Mr Robinson Njeru
Githae was appointed Finance
Minister in March this year,
many had doubts about his
aptitude in economic matters.
They were worried that the
minister had no finance or
economics experience to
manage the crucial docket.
The minister acknowledged
that it might be a difficult task
to manage the country’s
economy, and banked on his
banking experience to steer
the fiscal and monetary
vehicle of the country. He
therefore asked for a “100-
day honeymoon” to learn the
ropes.
One year after his
appointment, some senior
people in government are still
worried about the minister’s
stay at the Treasury. Many
look at him as just a
figurehead at the mercy of
the technocrats in that key
department.
Mr Micah Cheserem, the
chairman of the Commission
on Revenue Allocation, could
not hide his thinking when he
met the minister on Tuesday
in Parliament. At the Budget
Committee meeting, Mr
Cheserem dismissed Mr
Githae as unschooled in fiscal
and monetary matters
because “he is not an
accountant”.
Mr Cheserem insisted that the
minister was at the mercy of
the mandarins at the Treasury
and that was why things such
as submission of key Bills to
Parliament, to midwife the
transition to county
governments, was taking too
long.
Mr Githae is a lawyer. He was
at that meeting and did not
like what Mr Cheserem had
said. He protested. He shot
back that Mr Cheserem too
“is not a lawyer”. The minister
was saved from the tirade by
the MPs, who asked Mr
Cheserem to tone down, and
even apologise.
But before the apologies, Mr
Cheserem, a former Central
Bank governor, said his age
did not allow him to malign
someone without proof or
conviction. He said he was
just speaking his mind. All the
same, he apologised.
Mr Githae’s record at the
Treasury is good to the extent
that he’s been able to work
well with the MPs to meet the
deadlines in the Public
Financial Management Act.
But he failed to keep the
greedy MPs away from public
coffers.
The MPs had failed to box Mr
Githae’s predecessor at the
Treasury, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta.
However, Mr Githae, cut a
deal with MPs. It saw the
MPs drop their quest for
interest rate caps, because
the minister approved that
they each get Sh3.72 million in
severance allowance. That
was on April 19, 2011.
That Thursday night, it was a
quick deal. Mr Githae
introduced the amendment,
the temporary deputy
Speaker Philip Kaloki put the
matter to vote and as usual it
was agreed to.
It took less than five minutes.
Ms Millie Odhiambo had
sought to know what was
being amended but she was
verbally dismissed. She was
shocked.
The minister sneaked in the
amendment hours after
hosting MPs to a posh lunch
at which, it was reported in
the House, that they had been
given Sh50,000.
A shocked Ms Odhiambo
(nominated) who had let the
world know about the
Sh50,000 lunch, questioned
why even the backbenchers
had not been allowed to look
at the amendment from the
Treasury.
“Whereas I believe MPs are
entitled, I will not be party to
unfairness to this country,”
she said.
“MPs have refused to reduce
interest rates for the public,
but when it comes to our own
things, we are very quick and
sneaky.”
Five months later, in October,
again, late at night, he gave
MPs Sh9.3 million each. The
MPs smiled, but the President
rejected it. He said it was
unaffordable and
unconstitutional. But two days
ago, the minister conspired
with the MPs to seek the
money from the President.
The new request is awaiting
President Kibaki’s assent.
The minister has also been
powerless when it comes to
monetary management.
TULIA.........UFUNZWE!