You are all sacked: President Ruto fires his cabinet, Prime CS Mudavadi, Secretary to the Cabinet Wanjau survive
President William Ruto has announced the firing of all his cabinet secretaries except the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also serves as Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS and the Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau.
Addressing the nation at the Nairobi State House Ruto added that his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, is not affected by the changes as he is protected by the constitution.
“I have today, in line with the powers given to me, decided to dismiss all the Cabinet Secretaries and Attorney General, except for the Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS Foreign Affairs.” Ruto stated.
In one of the most drastic decisions since he took office, president bowed to pressure and dismissed his Cabinet, a decision Kenyans received with utmost jubilation.
The Cabinet went down at a time when Generation Zs had insisted they would not agree to a reshuffle but a complete overhaul and threatened to return to the streets with more protests if Ruto ignored their demands.
This is seen as a big win to demands by the youths for better governance and accountability on the part of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The protests saw the President withdraw the infamous Finance Bill 2024 that would have imposed more punitive taxes on the already overburdened Kenyans.
And on Tuesday this week, Ruto enacted the Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Amendment Bill, another of the demands that Kenyans had made. But the Gen Z did not stop at that.
They insisted they will continue the push to ensure the President creates a new Cabinet, in addition to weeding out the corrupt individuals.
“And of course, the office of the Deputy President is not affected in any way.” He added.
Rigathi can only be impeached according to the 2010 Promulgated Constitution.
The Head of State said he will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors, political formations, and other Kenyans, both public and private, to set up a broad base of government.
“The broad government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary urgent and irreversible implementation of the program we have, including other radical measures to deal with the burden of debt to explore raising domestic resources, and revenues, expanding job opportunities, and eliminating wastage under necessary duplication.” He said.
Principal Secretaries and other relevant officials will continue coordinating the government, with Ruto stating that operations will continue uninterrupted.
In 2022 September, president Ruto nominated 22 Cabinet Secretaries, who were later vetted and approved by the National Assembly the following month.
President Ruto has walked in the similar shoes of the late President Mwai Kibaki, who, on November 23, 2005, dismissed his entire cabinet in the middle of his administration’s term.
This was a day after Kenyans had rejected a constitution he had backed.
Here is the full list of Cabinet secretaries that have been dismissed.
(I) Njuguna Ndung’u: National Treasury and Planning
(II) Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen: Roads and Transport
(III) Aisha Jumwa: Gender, Culture, the Arts & Heritage
(IV) Aden Duale: Defence
(V) Alice Wahome: Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban Development
(VI) Hon (Dr.) Alfred Mutua, EGH: Tourism & Wildlife
(VII) Moses K. Kuria, HSC: Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management
(VIII) Rebecca Miano: Investments, Trade & Industry
(IX) Kithure Kindiki: Interior and National Administration
(X) Roselinda Soipan Tuya: Environment and Forestry
(XI) Zachariah Mwangi Njeru: Water, Sanitation & Irrigation
(XII) Peninah Malonza, OGW: East African Community, The ASALs & Regional Development
(XIII) Mithika Linturi: Agriculture and Livestock Development
(XIV) Ezekiel Machogu: Education
(XV) Davis Chirchir: Energy and Petroleum
(XVI) Ababu Namwamba: Youth Affairs and Sports
(XVII) Simon Chelugui: Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development
(XVIII) Salim Mvurya: Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs
(XIX) Florence Bore: Labour and Social Protection
(XX) Eliud Owalo: Information, Communications and the Digital Economy
(XXI) Susan Nakhumicha Wafula: Health
(XXII) Mercy Kiiru Wanjau: Secretary to the Cabinet
