Go for technocrats and save the country, Ahmednasir tells Ruto on new Cabinet

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi appears on Spice FM on July 19, 2024. [Screen grab]

President William Ruto has a golden opportunity to redeem the Kenya Kwanza government, which has lost public confidence, according to Senior Counsel and Constitutional Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi.

Speaking on Spice FM on Friday, July 19, Ahmednasir avers that the president now has the chance to appoint a new Cabinet comprised of technocrats who can address the country's issues.

"This is a new beginning for him. He has a chance to choose a Cabinet that will revamp everything that was thrown in the trenches. This is a golden opportunity to fix the system, and the Cabinet is the engine of any government," said the lawyer.

Lawyer Ahmednasir claimed that Ruto bears the blame for the failures of the recently dismissed Cabinet members, adding that those dismissed were not competent and were appointed as rewards for their roles during the 2022 General Election campaigns.

"It seemed like he was appointing people based on their performance at past campaign rallies. This is where he failed. He needs to appoint experts and reward campaign supporters in other sectors, not the Cabinet—the engine of the nation," the senior counsel said.

Ahmednasir also highlighted major issues impacting Kenya negatively, including bad governance, lack of transparency, and accountability.

"Forget about housing projects, road networks, and the like. This country has a corruption problem and poor governance. There is no rule of law. A country that doesn’t punish the rich when they steal public funds cannot survive," he added.

The lawyer praised Gen Z for standing up to fight against poor governance, suggesting the next target should be the Judiciary, which he alleges is plagued by corruption.

Ruto fired his entire Cabinet last week, following weeks of unrest in the country, with protests against the Finance Bill 2024 triggering anti-government protests.