President William Ruto has reassigned the mandate for implementing the Intergovernmental Relations Act from Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The directive, issued through Chief of Staff Felix Koskei, marks a significant shift in Kenya’s executive power structure, removing a core constitutional responsibility from the deputy presidency.
The reassignment places Mudavadi, a senior political figure, in charge of coordinating relations between the national government and county administrations.
This move is widely interpreted as an effort to centralize oversight of devolved functions, potentially altering the balance of power between Nairobi and the country’s 47 counties.
Kindiki’s loss of the portfolio reduces his direct influence over intergovernmental negotiations, a role that has been critical in managing fiscal transfers and policy alignment between levels of government.
The shift comes amid ongoing political realignments within the ruling coalition, where control over key ministries and constitutional mandates remains a focal point of internal dynamics.