Was Ruto’s Cabinet shakeup just for show?
NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 24 – Is President William Ruto offering a soft landing to the ten-fired Cabinet Secretaries?
That’s the question on Kenyans’ minds.
The speculation follows the Friday appointments of former Cabinet Secretaries Moses Kuria and Eliud Owalo to new state roles.
Kuria is now a senior adviser in the Council of Economic Advisors, while Owalo has been named Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Performance and Delivery Management.
“The appointments are in line with the President’s Bottom Up Economic Agenda,” Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said.
Both Kuria and Owalo were among the officials dismissed when President Ruto dissolved his Cabinet on July 11, 2024, in response to nationwide youth-led protests, primarily driven by Generation Z, demanding a government overhaul.
Since the dissolution, Ruto has reappointed ten of the 22 fired officials, with Kuria and Owalo now returning to senior state jobs.
The youth are now questioning if the Cabinet shakeup was merely a facade.
During his coastal tour in Watamu this July, President Ruto publicly promised former Gender and Culture Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa a new job.
However, recent appointments have sparked controversy, particularly after President Ruto brought four senior opposition figures into his Cabinet.
Critics have accused the President of trying to silence the opposition, but President Ruto defended his decision, calling it a move towards a broad-based government aimed at unifying the country.
The four new appointees include former ODM Deputy Party Leaders Wycliffe Oparanya, now the CS for Cooperatives, and Hassan Joho, the Mining CS.
Former ODM National Chairperson John Mbadi was appointed Treasury CS, while former National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi now oversees the Energy docket.
ODM Leader Raila Odinga, who is receiving state backing in his bid for the African Union (AU) Chairmanship, has announced his exit from local politics.
Once a fierce critic of President Ruto but now a close ally, Raila’s departure seems to have weakened Kenya’s once-vibrant opposition.
However, leaders like NARC Kenya’s Martha Karua and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka insist that the opposition will endure.
The appointments appeared to have dampened the youth-driven protests demanding change, as evidenced by the lack of impact from their last demonstration on August 8, 2024.
However, they have since announced plans for another protest on August 27, 2024, with the rallying call “Ruto Must Go.”
As Kenyans watch to see if President Ruto will extend a soft landing to his former allies now out of work, the impact of the planned protests remains uncertain.
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