Kenyan President William Ruto has appointed the first 11 members of his Cabinet, retaining six former ministers in the key portfolios of defense and interior.
In a televised address on Friday, Ruto retained Aden Duale and Kithure Kindiki, his political allies, as defense and interior ministers, respectively. Ruto also retained Alice Wahome as the minister of lands and Soipan Tuya as the environment minister.
Former energy minister Davis Chirchir has been moved to transport ministry while former trade minister Rebecca Miano has been appointed the attorney general.
Ruto has brought five new faces including Debra Mulongo (health), Julius Migosi (education), Andrew Karanja (agriculture), Mureithi Miga (water), and Margaret Ndung’u (ICT).
“I’m continuing to take consultations across political divide on the balance of the remaining cabinet. Further consultations are ongoing after which I will announce more names in due course,” said Ruto.
“Additionally, I will be issue clear assignments for the new cabinet next week.”
Background
Last week, Ruto dismissed all but one minister and said he would form a broad-based government that would help him address issues that led to monthlong protests.
The protests started as calls for legislators to vote against a finance bill that was proposing new taxes and later morphed into calls for the president’s resignation over bad governance.
The country’s public debt has been increasing and Ruto defended the proposed taxes as a way to repay debt and increase internal revenue collection.
Demonstrators have been calling for a fresh start accusing the former ministers of incompetence, corruption and displays of opulence amid the high cost of living.
The interior ministry, under which the police falls, has been often criticized for the shooting and killings of protesters on June 25 as they stormed parliament.
Shortly before the president’s announcement, opposition coalition members on Friday distanced themselves from the proposal to form a broad-based government, calling it a “betrayal of the Kenyan people, particularly Gen Zs and millennials,” who have been leading the protests calling for change.
Opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka called the Cabinet change “cosmetic,” saying nothing will change as long as the Ruto administration is in office.
He said that any opposition party joining the broad-based government would be doing so as an individual party and not as the opposition coalition.
Main opposition leader Raila Odinga wasn’t present during the opposition coalition media briefing.
What you should know
Kenya’s monthlong protests started on June 18 led by young people who stated they were leaderless and tribeless in their calls for change, accountability and good governance.
At least 50 people have died since the protests started and more than 400 others have been injured, according to data from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
A court on Thursday suspended a ban by police on protests in the capital, Nairobi.
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