President William Ruto chairs a Cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi
Anxiety has gripped the Cabinet as President William Ruto is said to be planning a major shake-up of the Executive, in a bid to placate youthful demonstrators who are demanding deep-rooted changes in government.
Highly placed sources within the Presidency intimate that President Ruto is set to fire some of his Cabinet and principal secretaries, targeting those who have been linked to poor performance and corruption allegations.
The President is keen to assuage widespread disaffection among the youth, who have taken the country hostage with mass demonstrations that have shut down major towns and cities across the country for the past three weeks.
Some of the CSs have also been earmarked for reassigning, with the President said to be consulting for possible replacements.
So intense is the uncertainty that work has ground to a halt in the top ministerial offices.
“Everything is on hold as we speak, everyone wants to know his or her fate first,” one CS told Nation on Wednesday, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal for discussing confidential government information.
Collection of vehicles
For close to two years that President Ruto has been in office, there has been a growing perception that top officials have turned arrogant, entitled and with a predisposition for displaying conspicuous consumption through their dressing and collection of vehicles.
Some have also contributed huge amounts of cash at fundraisers, which are way disproportionate to their known income.
“The Cabinet I have… maybe could have done better… and… I am going to do soul searching on how we are going to move forward,” President Ruto said in a live TV interview on Sunday.
Asked whether heads will roll in his Cabinet, the President responded “watch this space”, in a clear indication of his plans to kick out some of his ministers, whom he admitted have contributed to the current discord.
The announcement that was expected Wednesday (July 3) was delayed because Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was attending the burial of his elder sister in Laikipia, and the feeling was that shaking up the Cabinet would have appeared “insensitive”.
Depending on how the planned mass protests turn out on Thursday, July 4, 2024, the President might address the nation on the same in the afternoon. If not, sources indicated the reshuffle would be effected on Friday.
The purge could also extend to Parliament, affecting committee chairpersons and those in House leadership positions.
Protesters last week invaded Parliament in a show of no confidence after MPs voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024, against the protesters’ demands.
The now public power struggle between President Ruto and his deputy, has, however, presented yet another political dilemma.
“The new Cabinet will reflect the fallout,” said our sources.
It was not immediately clear if the President will consult Mr Gachagua in making the changes even as it emerged that the DP has not made any appearance at State House for the past two weeks amid the escalating political strife.
He was last seen at State House during the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting that was held on June 18.
Most of President Ruto’s Cabinet secretaries and political allies on Wednesday skipped the burial ceremony of Mr Gachagua’s eldest sister Leah Wangari Muriuki in Nanyuki. Only Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi attended.
Cabinet shake-up
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed did not respond to our queries on the looming Cabinet shake-up.
Ms Njeri Rugene, head of the Deputy Presidential Communication Service, said the office was not aware of planned changes in the Cabinet.
Calls for a Cabinet shake-up dominated a motion on the State of the Nation by the Senate on yesterday, when some UDA members openly asked the President to sack some of the ministers for letting his government down.
A section of members of the Upper House also told the President to abolish the proposed Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) positions in a move that is likely to block political bigwigs from joining the Kenya Kwanza government. President Ruto had appointed 50 politicians, mostly 2022 poll losers, to the positions before it was stopped by the court.
During the roundtable interview, Ruto said: “No CAS will be appointed until we have an economy that supports more opportunities.”
Former governors Evans Kidero (Nairobi) and Samuel Tunai (Narok) are some of the poll losers who had been appointed to the CAS positions. Other prominent politicians who were on the list include former MPs Millicent Omanga, Nicholas Gumbo, Wilson Sossion, Charles Njagua Kanyi, Wesley Korir, Rehema Jaldesa, Chris Wamalwa, Benjamin Washiali, Cate Waruguru, Ann Wanjiku Mwangi, Nicholas Ngabiya Rioba, among others.
In an apparent attack on a Cabinet Secretary and an MP for their insensitive display of opulence by parading wads of cash and flying helicopters, Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale said their impunity had made the young people to turn against those in power.
Dr Khalwale, who is the Kakamega Senator, also called for the disbandment of the Prime Cabinet Secretary position, currently held by Mr Musalia Mudavadi.
“Mr President, dissolve the Cabinet and reconstitute it. Disband offices outside the Constitution like CAS and Prime Cabinet Secretary, offices of first ladies and advisers. If advisors are useful, then what David Ndii is doing is not advise but misadvise,” said Mr Khalwale.
He also called for the restructuring of the security organs by firing the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome.
“We have a DPP (Director of Public Prosecution) who sits from Monday to Friday scheming on which language and law to use… Let criminals who have stolen property go through the due process. If it was working, some of the ministers would not be there. Some are there because a corrupt Parliament allowed them and the DPP followed it up by withdrawing their cases,” he said on the floor of the House.
Similarly, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna called for an audit of all public appointments done since September 2023, saying some of the offices created have no basis of existence.
“Look at the number of advisers in government, there needs to be a public audit of all the advisers and tell Kenyans why it is alright for one office of the adviser on economic matters to have more money for travel than nine committees of this House combined. It does not make any sense,” said Mr Sifuna.
“Office of the First Lady has 285 employees and that of the spouse of the deputy president 100 employees. We cannot continue like this,” he said.
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua asked President Ruto to reduce the size of his Cabinet from 22 to 14.
Article 152 of the Constitution gives the minimum and maximum number of ministers to between 14 and 22.
“I want to call on the President, as a demonstration that he has listened and understood what the people are saying, to reduce the size of his cabinet from 21 to 14. Merge departments and reduce the number of PSs from 51 to 21 or 14 to match the number of CSs,” said Mr Wambua.
“The size of the Cabinet in the USA is 15 with a population of more than 340 million people. China with a population of more than 1.5 billion, the members of the State council, whose equivalent is a Cabinet secretary, are 26. What are we doing with 21 CSs with a population of less than 60 million and an economy that cannot support such an expenditure? Let us reduce that number,” he said.
He also called for the sacking of IG Japhet Koome. He accused the IG of incompetence.
“When the country is burning, the IG is silent. The words that the President used on incompetence and lack of capacity on former IG Mutyambai must be used on Koome. Perhaps the President spoke too early as Mr Koome is the embodiment of incompetence and incapacity to lead the Kenya Police Service,” said the senator.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei also called for the disbandment of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for failing in the fight against corruption.
“It is time we disband and reconstitute the EACC to win back public confidence,” he said.
Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute said the President should consider sacking all his ministers and replacing them with new ones.
“What is wrong if the President decides to sack all the ministers? Let all of them go home. There are other Kenyans who can do the job even better. The other day there was the fertiliser scandal. The minister is still in office. There was also the edible oil case and the CS is still in office and the President is aware,” said the lawmaker.
The alleged fertiliser scandal occurred in the Ministry of Agriculture, which is under CS Linturi, while the edible oil scam occurred in the Trade Ministry that was under Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria. Mr Kuria was later moved to Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management.
Mr Linturi was absolved after an impeachment motion against him was defeated in the National Assembly.
