In less than three years in office, President William Ruto has made numerous changes to his Cabinet, with some ministries, such as Agriculture and Sports, being led by three different Cabinet Secretaries during this period.
Former Cabinet Secretaries like Andrew Karanja and Margaret Nyambura served in their positions for less than six months, raising questions about the consistency and strategic direction of these appointments.
Ruto has often defended the frequent reshuffles as part of his push for a "broad-based government."
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this term refers to including a wide range of people or ideas. In the Kenyan context, it could reflect Ruto's efforts to incorporate individuals from various political factions into his administration.
This approach is evident in his appointments of key ODM leaders such as John Mbadi, Opiyo Wandayi, and Hassan Joho.
More recently, former allies of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, including Mutahi Kagwe, Lee Kinyanjui, and William Kabogo, were nominated to Cabinet. However, these appointments have drawn criticism over the qualifications and competence of those selected.
Former Agriculture Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa, speaking on Spice FM on Thursday, January 16, criticised the reshuffles as politically driven rather than aimed at addressing governance and financial challenges.
“We are dealing with problems rooted in financial governance, yet we’re offering political solutions,” opined Kirwa.
He argued that Ruto’s approach revolves around consolidating power by aligning key institutions with his political agenda.
“We’ve allowed institutions to revolve around personalities and communities. The president consults regional leaders who then influence his decisions on who to appoint as Cabinet Secretaries,” the former minister explained.
Kipruto Arap Kirwa: Kenya is solving their financial governance problems using political solutions #TheSituationRoom
Follow our live conversation on YouTube: https://t.co/EH43ksjm0f pic.twitter.com/8HIIvo2yav — SpiceFM (@SpiceFMKE) January 16, 2025
Kirwa also accused Ruto of weakening key democratic institutions to ensure alignment with his agenda.
“After his appointment, Ruto began by emasculating political parties, bringing them under one roof. He extended this to Parliament, ensuring it cannot operate independently or oppose his stance,” he claimed.
The former Agriculture boss contends that this strategy guarantees that Cabinet nominations align with Ruto’s political goals, regardless of the nominees' competence.
“I’m not questioning the abilities of those nominated, but their appointment is merely a reflection of the president’s decisions.”
Kirwa further noted that the Constitution requires the President to prioritise qualifications and competence over political loyalty or electoral calculations. For this to happen, he argued, Kenya’s institutions must be fully institutionalised and operate independently.
Until then, he warned, political deals and handshakes will continue to undermine the country’s financial and developmental progress.
