National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei has opined that a fuss should not be made out of the office space conflict between Cabinet Secretaries Moses Kuria and Musalia Mudavadi.
This after the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said on Sunday that the now expanded Prime CS position, which includes the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs docket, headed by Mudavadi, would be located at the old Treasury building on Harambee Avenue.
Meanwhile, the Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management docket headed by Kuria would take up the Kenya Railways building off Haile Sellasie Avenue which created a point of contention.
The tiff saw Mudavadi’s office disputing Koskei’s remarks, inviting President William Ruto to the simmering conflict.
In Shollei’s view, the matter should be considered a dead letter and should be dismissed since service delivery from the involved ministries will not be compromised.
“I think this is a non-issue really. I don’t think it is something we should take our time discussing it. It’s like discussing whether my daughter should sleep in the other room and my son should move to the other one and where my housekeeper should sleep,” she said.
“It does not really matter at the end of the day it is the service to Kenyans that really matters. What has to be logically looked at is yet this is quite a significant change.”
Shollei, who was appearing on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show on Monday, stated that it is also unreasonable to invite President Ruto’s input on the minute issue, noting that a resolve can be made between the involved parties.
“That is something internal I think they can be able to sort it out. It is a bit ridiculous to tell the head of state to come and manage who sits where. I think he has more important things to deal with,” she said.
On Sunday evening, Kibisu Kabatesi, who handles public communication at the PCS office, said that unless Executive Order No. 1 which outlined the functions of cabinet secretaries is vacated by the president, the status quo would remain.
In a letter, Kabatesi revealed that Mudavadi has been a squatter at the Treasury building as renovations of the Railways’ headquarters proceeded and that he had even already set up camp pending completion of the works.
CS Kuria also took to X, formerly Twitter, downplaying media reports over the ensuing conflict.
Kuria outlined the roles of the State Department of Performance and Delivery Management which is under his ministry as per Executive Order no 1.
“Contrary to media reports today, there is absolutely no tug of war between myself and my senior and close friend Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. The PCS will continue operating from Railways Headquarters and myself from Harambee House,” he wrote.
The latter comes a week after President Ruto made a reshuffle in his cabinet, which saw some ministries being merged and other leaders being moved to new dockets.
Kuria was given his new role and left the Investments, Trade, and Industry ministry, which he turned over to Rebecca Miano.
Mudavadi had the Foreign Affairs docket added to his intray which saw its former head Alfred Mutua take up the Tourism and Wildlife docket.
