Religious Leaders Advocate for Leaner Government and Economic Reforms
The Mt Kenya Times 
Religious leaders under the Ufungamano-Joint Forum of Religious Organizations (U-JFRO) issuing their address to the media
By Cynthia Masibo
In a significant move aimed at reducing government expenditure and improving efficiency, religious leaders under the Ufungamano-Joint Forum of Religious Organizations (U-JFRO) have issued a call to President William Ruto to appoint a Cabinet comprising no more than 16 Cabinet Secretaries.
In a detailed statement released on Friday, the leaders emphasized the need for a streamlined government structure. They recommended appointing two Cabinet Secretaries per region and one Principal Secretary per ministry to ensure effective management and accountability.
“Appointment of two CSs per region is ideal. In terms of management, a ministry does not require more than one Principal Secretary. A Cabinet Secretary (CS) should be in charge of one Principal Secretary, who should be in charge of departmental heads,” the statement read.
Proposed Salary Cuts and Structural Changes
The U-JFRO leaders further proposed significant salary cuts for all state officers, including Members of Parliament (MPs), Senators, Governors, Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), and other senior public servants. They suggested a reduction of at least 40% in salaries to curb excessive government spending.
In a bid to streamline legislative representation, the clergy recommended reducing the number of constituencies and elected members of the National Assembly from the current 290 to 150.
“In many countries, MPs not only represent a much larger constituency but also provide a very high level of service. On the other hand, according to recent surveys and Hansard reports, some MPs attend Parliament but contribute very little to the debates,” they argued.
Reorganization of Counties
The religious leaders also called for a reorganization of the county system, proposing a reduction in the number of counties from 47 to 16. They suggested clustering the existing counties into viable economic blocs, with the current counties becoming sub-counties.
“This could easily be achieved if the previous provinces were split into two counties each, the Rift Valley split into three counties because of its larger size, and Nairobi retained as one county,” they explained.
Senate Reforms for Gender Balance
In a move to promote gender balance, the leaders proposed that each of the newly formed counties should elect one male and one female senator, reducing the total number of Senators from 67 to 32.
“U-JFRO proposes that in the next General Elections, senators should be elected in the new reduced number of counties, and each county should elect one male and one female senator, similar to the US model,” the statement read.
Recent Government Actions
These proposals from U-JFRO come just a day after President Ruto dismissed all Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney General, with the exception of Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi. This move has set the stage for potential structural changes in the Kenyan government, aligning with some of the recommendations made by the religious leaders.
The call for reforms by U-JFRO underscores the growing demand for a more efficient and economically sustainable government structure in Kenya. Whether these recommendations will be adopted remains to be seen, but they have certainly sparked a significant conversation on the future of governance in the country.
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