NAIROBI, Kenya- Former presidential adviser Moses Kuria has argued that Kenya’s political landscape could ultimately compel both the government and the opposition to support an expanded Executive, saying the current political arithmetic makes such a structure increasingly necessary.
In a statement shared on Sunday, Kuria said both sides of the political divide may publicly reject the idea but privately recognize the need for additional senior positions to accommodate competing political interests.
“Both sides of the political divide will pretend to dismiss this. They will call it looking for jobs for the boys. The truth of the matter is that, the Math is not Mathing for both sides. They both need an expanded executive with a Prime Minister and two Deputies besides the President and the Deputy President,” Kuria said.
He added that he believes the Executive structure proposed through the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) process will soon be introduced in Parliament and receive support from both Kenya Kwanza and the opposition.
“So let us not dramatise this. The NADCO Executive Structure will be introduced in Parliament shortly. It will receive bipartisan support in record time,” he said.
Kuria further argued that if such reforms are adopted, they would validate key proposals contained in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), the constitutional reform process championed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
“Uhuru Kenyatta in life and Baba posthumously will be vindicated on BBI,” he said.
NADCO and the Expanded Executive Debate
The National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) was formed in 2023 following bipartisan talks between the Kenya Kwanza administration and the Azimio coalition after months of political protests.
The committee was co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
Its report made recommendations on electoral reforms, governance, constitutional implementation, and measures aimed at easing political tensions.
Among the issues discussed during the dialogue was the possibility of constitutional amendments, although implementation of such proposals requires the procedures set out in the Constitution, including parliamentary approval and, where applicable, a referendum.
The idea of an expanded Executive is not new in Kenyan politics. Similar proposals formed a central pillar of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which recommended creating the offices of Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers alongside the President and Deputy President.
Proponents argued the changes would promote inclusivity and reduce post-election conflict.
However, the BBI process was halted in 2021 after the High Court, Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court declared the constitutional amendment process unconstitutional, preventing the proposed referendum from taking place.
As of now, no Bill creating the offices of Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers has been passed by Parliament or enacted into law.
