Mudavadi makes first official foreign trip to UK
By evans.maritim, December 5, 2022Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has made his maiden trip to the United Kingdom (UK) where he will represent President William Ruto at the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit.
Mudavadi arrived in London on Monday, December 5, and was received by Kenya’s High Commissioner to UK Manoah Esipisu.
“Arrived safely in London for the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit. I was graciously received by Kenya’s High Commissioner to the UK H.E Manoah Esipisu,” he said.
The Summit is scheduled for 5 – 6 December 2022 in London, United Kingdom.
The Summit comes on the heels of the successful Commonwealth Business forum in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2022 and this year’s COP27.
This year’s Summit will look at strategies for a just and secure transition to sustainable energy, food security and resilience, health technology and the future of health delivery and of green finance.
“Kenya is a proud member of the Commonwealth since 1963 and remains committed to its ideals and objectives.
“The Commonwealth assists Kenya, under the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Regular Fund formally known as the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC),” Mudavadi’s office said in a press statement.
Mudavadi’s role
Mudavadi, according to President Ruto’s Executive Order Number 1 of 2022, is the third most powerful government official after the President and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
The former Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader’s offices are situated at Kenya Railways Headquarters, off Haile Selassie Avenue.
There were speculations that the functions of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, a position created by Ruto to reward Mudavadi for his support during the last general election, would overlap with those of the deputy president.
However, Ruto later set out distinct functions for each of the two offices.
Besides the principal assistant job decreed by Article 147 of the Constitution, the President tasked Gachagua with overseeing the implementation of Cabinet decisions, co-ordinating Inter-Governmental relations, overseeing Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices, and developing partner programs and public sector reforms.
On the other hand, Ruto said Mudavadi will assist the President and his deputy in coordinating and supervising government ministries and state departments, work closely with the ministry of interior to oversee government policies, programmes and projects, and coordinate government legislative agenda.
The former deputy president was also tasked with chairing the Principal Secretaries Committees and supervising the technical monitoring and evaluation of Government policies, programmes, and projects.