The New look cabinet

The President has just announced a new 42 Member Cabinet comprising the lead organ of the Grand Coalition government that follows from the February 28th National Accord.
Most of those expected to be on the list as full Ministers were present, and there seems to have been a sincere effort to take into the tent as many of Kenya's ethnicities (regrettable that we still break it down like that), and something of an improvement in the prospects of three other constituencies, Kenyans from the arid and semi-arid districts, Kenyan Muslims and Kenyan women.

The issue of portfolio balance, and the contentious ministries from the penultimate round of negotiations was overcome, with the president looking to have retained most of the ministries in question and the ODM failing to get its Ministry of Cabinet Affairs. Some constituencies will feel disadvantaged, even hard done by and perhaps shift their political allegiances accordingly.

As comments elsewhere say, it is odd that given the need to create lasting coalitions, the President chose to diminish the award to the ODM-K group and the Meru. It is noteworthy that Minister Charity Ngilu managed to get into the ODM list for close to nothing, with close to the same representation in the Cabinet for her Ukambani contingent as President Kibaki gave to Kalonzo's Ukambani MPs; albeit in a position that is far from the Health Ministry she had wanted. Missing in action are Omingo Magara, Peter Munya, Mwangi Kiunjuri, Musikari Kombo and perhaps most glaringly Garsen MP Danson Mungatana. Can you spot anyone else?

Ethnic breakdown? If you insist. There's 8 Gikuyu members of the Cabinet, including the President and Hon. Saitoti. Nine if you count the Government Chief Whip George Thuo. There's seven from the wider Luhya group across the party line, eight counting Attorney General Amos Wako. The ODM has four of these, including the Deputy Prime Minister which combined with the Local Government ministry his father once held, is now the domain of Sabatia MP the Hon. Musalia Mudavadi. Counted in these seven is Fred Gumo although he is a Nairobi MP. The Westlands MP has finally broken into the Cabinet after decades serving as an Assistant Minister. The PNU coalition has 3 Luhya MPs including the Minister for Foreign Affairs Moses Wetangula - who finally gets a full Cabinet position and Noah Wekesa who retains a Cabinet position.

There are six Muslim Ministers, three from each side, and the North Eastern and Coastal Provinces look to have got a good deal with full control of an own ministry, that of Northern Kenya and Arid Lands, the Ministry of Livestock Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Tourism and the powerful ministry of Defence where former Provincial Commissioner Yussuf Haji will serve, assisted by another former Provincial Commissioner, ODM-K chairman David Musila.

The Luo and the wider Kalenjin group get five Cabinet posts each with a first trip into the inner sanctums for two lawyers Mbita MP Otieno Kajwang' and Ugenya MP James Orengo. The other three are long time Minister Dalmas Otieno making a return after a long time in the political cold, and Prime Minister Odinga and Kisumu East MP Anyang' Nyong'o. The Nandi-Kipsigis constituencies also get five Ministers, with Hon. William Ruto taking on the powerful agriculture Ministry as long time Ministers Kipkalya Kones and Henry Kosgei return to Cabinet, as will former Cabinet Secretary Sally Kosgei, now returning as Higher Education Minister.

Danson Mungatana continues in spite of his having been mentioned as a possible Deputy Prime Minister will serve as an Assistant Minister, and in a not too prominent position. Uhuru Kenyatta's rise to the Deputy Premiership coincides with the ascension into the full Cabinet of his relative Beth Mugo. Prime Minister Raila Odinga's brother Oburu Odinga is another relative in the Cabinet, now as assistant Minister in the Ministry of Finance.

There is little here for the youth to celebrate particularly, and there is not much change available, many old faces, some particularly unwelcome to many Kenyans but stubbornly here. What do you think?