President Uhuru Kenyatta has removed Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa from the devolution committee following a reshuffle in the cabinet.
Following the reshuffle, CS Wamalwa was moved from the Devolution docket that he has held for over three years to the ministry of Defense.
The movement implies that Wamalwa will no longer be in the devolution committees where he was responsible for intergovernmental relations between the national government and the devolved units.
In the devolution docket, Wamalwa also made sure that the ministry supports county government through policy formations and capacity support. He also managed the shared functions of the two levels of government.
His duties at the department of state will now be taken by Charles Keter who was previously at the Ministry of Energy.
On the other end, Keter’s place at the Ministry of Energy will be taken by Monica Juma who was at the Ministry of Defence.
President Kenyatta also made some changes within the Principal Secretary positions. The changes saw Maj. Gen Gordon Kihalangwa, PS of Public Works was moved to the State Department of Energy where he will serve as a PS.
In the reshuffle, some state departments were also transferred to other ministries which saw the Ministry of Public Service and Gender becomes the biggest gainer.
Both State Department for Arid and Semi-arid Lands (ASALs) and state State Department for Social Protection, Pensions, and Senior Citizens moved to the Ministry of Public Service & Gender.
The Department of Special Programmes was however transferred to the State Department for Social Protection, Pensions, and Senior Citizens Affairs – which has since been renamed as the State Department for Social Protection, Senior Citizens Affairs, and Special Programmes.
The Ministry of Public Service & Gender was reconstituted and renamed as the Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs & Special Programmes while the Ministry of Labour & Social Protection was reconstituted and renamed as the Ministry of Labour.
Also renamed and reconstituted is the Ministry of Devolution & the Arid and Semi-arid Lands ASALs which is now known as the Ministry of Devolution.
