On Friday, March 7, Kenyan newspapers reportedly widely reported the power-sharing agreement between President William Ruto and former prime minister Raila Odinga.
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The dailies also noted parents could be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to pay school fees for their children after Members of Parliament (MPs) approved additional charges.
1. The Star
President William Ruto and former prime minister Raila Odinga, are expected to sign a 50:50 power sharing agreement akin to the 2008 National Accord, giving the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) a nearly equal portion of the government.
The two leaders will sign a coalition deal today, Friday, March 7. This will give the president a political boost ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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Ruto and Raila will ink the deal at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
The new pact will cause political realignments, with Ruto and Raila on one side against former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka, ex-DP Rigathi Gachagua and former deputy presidential candidate Martha Karua on the other side.
According to sources, Raila will nominate three more Cabinet Secretaries and share an equal number of Principal Secretaries, parastatal and ambassadorial jobs, with Ruto.
“There are expected changes in Health, Water and Agriculture dockets,” the source revealed.
Retired prsident Uhuru Kenyatta reportedly tried to dissuade Raila from the deal during their meeting in Mombasa.
2. People Daily
Kenyan MPs have told the government to allow schools countrywide to charge additional fees.
This follows concerns from headteachers and principals that primary, junior, and secondary schools were not receiving enough funding to support students.
This came after the National Treasury released KSh 54 billion to the State Department of Basic Education against a budget of KSh 74 billion.
MPs in the Education Committee, led by Tinderet lawmaker Julius Melly, said the government was supposed to pay KSh 22,224 for each learner, but the schools received KSh 17,000 per head.
This, he said, left institutions in debt.
“As of now schools are getting KSh 17,000 per learner, but what has been sent is KSh 11,000. This is way below KSh 22,224 that’s adequate for capitation,” Melly said during a meeting with Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang.
3. Daily Nation
A report by the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, has exposed counties which spent millions of public funds in local and foreign travel at the expense of development.
In the first half of the 2024/2025 financial year, Nyakang’o revealed devolved units spent a whopping KSh 6.6 billion on foreign travel.
Below were the top counties in overall travel expenditure:
- Machakos – KSh 372.91 million.
- Nairobi – KSh 369.03 million.
- Kitui – KSh 315.31 million.
- Nyandarua – KSh 223.15 million.
- Kajiado – KSh 217.71 million.
- Kakamega – KSh 215.48 million.
- Meru – KSh 202.22 million.
- Kisumu – KSh 196.11 million.
- Busia – KSh 189.86 million.
- Baringo – KSh 189.98 million.
4. Taifa Leo
Ruto and Raila have completed a purge of former DP Gachagua’s allies for key parliamentary committees.
Among the casualties was Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro who was kicked out as the chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Nyoro was a close ally of Ruto but his refusal to stand in Gachagua’s impeachment dimmed his star.
In the Senate, Gachagua’s allies who were affected were Karungo Wa Thang’wa (Kiambu), John Methu (Nyandarua), John Kinyua (Laikipia) and Seki Lenku (Lamu).
The newly reconstituted committees follow the formation of the broad-based government.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
