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President Ruto Nominates Opposition Figures in Cabinet Reshuffle

Martin Olage Jul 24, 2024

President William Ruto has announced additional appointments to his cabinet including members who support Opposition leader Raila Odinga.

This strategic move is part of Ruto's broader vision to establish a government of national unity aimed at addressing Kenya's pressing challenges. The recent nominations, announced on Wednesday, follow an earlier round of appointments made the previous Friday. These changes come in the wake of Ruto's bold decision to dissolve his entire cabinet with the exception of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. According to UDA leaders, this overhaul mirrors Ruto's commitment to reshaping his administration to serve the nation's needs better.

In his public statement, Ruto emphasizes the importance of extensive consultations across various sectors and political formations. He expresses his intention to create a broad-based government capable of expediting the implementation of critical programs. These initiatives are designed to tackle the country's debt burden, enhance domestic resource mobilization, create employment opportunities, and eliminate inefficiencies within government agencies. Ruto also highlights the need to combat corruption to create a cost-effective and efficient government. He believes that this newly formed team will be instrumental in achieving these ambitious goals.

Among the notable appointments are several leaders allied with Azimio leader Raila Odinga, including Hassan Joho for the Mining portfolio, Wycliffe Oparanya for Cooperatives, John Mbadi for the National Treasury, and Opiyo Wandayi for Energy. These appointments signal a significant shift in Kenya's political landscape, as Ruto seeks to bring together diverse political factions to address the nation's challenges. On July 11, all Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney General were relieved of their duties, with Principal Secretaries temporarily coordinating ministerial affairs until a new cabinet was definitively appointed. In the interim, Musalia Mudavadi was appointed as the acting Cabinet Secretary for all ministries, ensuring continuity in government operations.

This comprehensive reshuffle comes against a backdrop of political tension and public dissatisfaction. Kenya has witnessed month-long protests, primarily led by young people demanding accountability, good governance, and economic reforms. These demonstrations, initially sparked by opposition to a finance bill proposing new taxes, have since evolved into broader calls for change. Opposition leader Raila Odinga has been vocal about his conditions for engaging with the Ruto administration. He has outlined several key demands, including the cessation of threats against Gen Z demonstrators, compensation for families of those killed in protests, the release of arrested political protesters, and the prosecution of police officers involved in abductions and extrajudicial killings.

Despite the inclusion of his allies in the new cabinet, Odinga maintains that he has not forwarded any names for consideration and insists that critical issues must be addressed before any form of engagement with the government.

The final list includes;


The ministerial positions announced last week included ;

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