Why Ruto fired his Cabinet

President William Ruto chaired a special Cabinet Meeting at State House, Nairobi on July 11, 2024. [PCS]

President William Ruto’s decision to dissolve his entire Cabinet has been interpreted by pundits as a strategy to redeem his dwindling popularity among Kenyans and the pressure mounted by Gen Z.

In a bold move, Ruto’s decision to fold his Cabinet comes after a record 19 years when the third President Mwai Kibaki sent his Cabinet packing in 2005 after 3.5 million Kenyans rejected the proposed draft constitution.

Like Kibaki, who attributed his move to dissolve his Cabinet to the results of the referendum, Ruto yesterday attributed his decision to the recent events, which formed the rage by the Gen Z.

“Following the results of the referendum, it has become necessary for me, as the President of the Republic, to re-organise my government to make it more cohesive and better able to serve the people of Kenya,” Kibaki said on November 23 2005.

He added: “In accordance with the powers conferred upon me under the Constitution of Kenya, I have directed that the offices of all Ministers and all Assistant Ministers become vacant. Consequently, the occupants of the said offices cease to hold their respective offices with immediate effect.”

And on Thursday, Ruto, said: “Upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my Cabinet and its achievements and challenges, I have, in line with the powers given to me, decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General from the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.”

But where did the rain start beating Ruto’s Cabinet?

Political experts believe arrogance, corruption, display of flamboyance and opulence, and failure by Cabinet Secretaries and other government officers to communicate government programmes to the people gave leeway for misinformation and propaganda, prompting Gen Z to stand up and fight for their rights.

In the last Cabinet meeting, the President told them he was to blame for the mess in the country as he had put his trust and hope on the wrong people who in turn contributed to the aggression by Kenyans.

“I am to blame because I trusted the wrong people. There has also been a major problem in the way we communicate with our people and this has allowed our critics to spread the wrong propaganda and mis-formation to our people,” the President reportedly said referring the issue of the controversial land tax bill which many Kenyans believed was contained in the impugned Finance Bill.

On August 1 last year, the President scolded his CSs and PSs who he said have scanty information about their dockets. “I call many PSs and ask them what is going on here and they have no clue and this is your department, that is the job that you have; you are not a messenger, you are not a security person, you are not a photographer, you are not a watchman,” he said.

Some of the Cabinet Secretaries fired by President William Ruto. [File, Standard]

“You are the PS or the minister and you don’t have information, how do you run a ministry, a department, or a parastatal if you have no information? That is the highest level of incompetence,” he added. 

Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga’s virtual handshake with the President which started on October last year, is also said to have culminated to the dissolving of Cabinet.

This is especially after Ruto announced his aim of setting up a broad-based government in what is seen as a government of national unity in the making. 

“I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent and irreversible, implementation of radical programs  to deal with the burden of  debt, raising domestic resources, expanding job opportunities,  eliminate wastage and unnecessary duplication of a multiplicity of government agencies and slay the dragon of corruption consequently making the government lean, inexpensive, effective and efficient,” he said.

Already, some names of leaders from Azimio are being fronted for consideration as CSs. They include two ODM top officials and a sitting MP.

Political analyst Charles Njoroge says a broad-based government would mean the President will reduce nominees suggested by his Kenya Kwanza coalition partners.

These include partners such as his Deputy Rigahti Gachagua, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.

“This comes at a time when ANC has agreed to fold and join the ruling UDA party and so it goes without saying that ANC will have no bargaining power. The push and pull that has been happening in Mt Kenya is also a fodder to the President because the CSs from the region have no say as they have not been supporting Gachagua who is in a better position to defend their seats,” Njoroge said.

Gachagua has in the past told Mt Kenya leaders to unite for the region to maintain its relevance in the national political discourse.

“Buffalos do not go together because of how they love each other, it is because of fear of being attacked by other wild animals, and that is why I keep urging our leaders to remain united,” the DP said in the past.

Njoroge said Gachagua was the last man standing as he has in the recent past accused some CSs of undermining him and his work especially the fight against illicit brew.