Out in the cold: The quiet lives of unlucky Cabinet Secretaries

From left: Former Cabinet Secretaries Aisha Jumwa, Prof Njuguna Ndung'u and Susan Nakhumicha. [File, Standard]

Nine sacked Cabinet Secretaries appear to be major political casualties as President William Ruto seeks to consolidate power and strategise for his re-election in 2027.

With the nomination of three more appointees to join the broad-based government, the fate of Susan Nakhumicha, Peninnah Malonza, Aisha Jumwa, Njuguna Ndung’u, Zachariah Njeru, Mithika Linturi, Ezekiel Machogu, Simon Chelugui and Florarence Bore appear sealed.

The nine were members of the inaugural Cabinet that President Ruto and his then-deputy Rigathi Gachagua put together to spearhead the bottom-up economic agenda.

While their colleagues who were also shown the door have crept back into different roles in government, the fate of the nine appears to be hanging on a thread.

Among those who have been lucky to earn new slots in government is former ICT CS Eliud Owalo who was appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President, Performance and Delivery Management. His former colleague Moses Kuria also found a seat close to Ruto as an advisor.

And on Thursday, former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba made a return after he was nominated to take the country’s slot as the Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

Additionally, CSs Margaret Ndung’u (ICT) and Andrew Karanja (Agriculture) have also been retained in government after they were nominated as high commissioner to Ghana and ambassador to Brazil respectively.

The comprehensive redeployment and new nominations cast a dark cloud on the fate of the nine CSs who had been hoping to make a return to public service.

In June, Ruto sacked his entire Cabinet and the Attorney General to redeem his dwindling popularity among Kenyans and the pressure mounted by Gen Z.

Later in August, Ruto unveiled his second Cabinet of 19 individuals that included opposition figures Hassan Joho, John Mbadi, Wycliffe Oparanya, and Opiyo Wandayi.

The Thursday move has now sealed the fate of the nine, leaving Kenyans to speculate on their whereabouts.

Susan Nakhumicha, who served as the Cabinet Secretary for Health, appeared to have swapped the corridors of power for the tranquillity of her cabbage farm, embracing agriculture after leaving government service.

She posted on her social media that being jobless had allowed her to reconnect with farming, a passion she rarely had time for when she served in the Cabinet.

Expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to immerse herself in agriculture, the former CS said she finds farming both fulfilling and therapeutic.

According to her, being away from public office had given her more time to focus on farming.

“Hello patriots, it has been a while on the farm. The jembe doesn’t lie” read part of the caption on a photo she posted on her X account.

Aisha Jumwa, the former Gender Cabinet Secretary, appears to be contemplating returning to politics after she was fired from the Cabinet.

Recently her close confidant spoke of her being torn between remaining in UDA or returning to Raila Odinga’s ODM.

Jumwa has been absent from President William Ruto’s functions at the Coast since late July when the President promised her a new job.

In July, when Ruto laid the foundation stone for a Sh50 million market in Watamu, Kilifi County, he promised Jumwa a government job.

The President described Jumwa as his sister and vowed that he could not afford to leave her in the cold. He promised he would “walk” with her in government.

“As I promised my sister Aisha Jumwa, I will sort her out, and I will make sure that she is involved in matters of government because she is a heroine,” Ruto had said.

Zachariah Njeru, the former Lands/Water CS, returned to his home county, Nakuru, where he runs several businesses.

Njeru owns and operates a high-end nightclub and other businesses in Nakuru city where he was born and bred.

He has avoided interviews with the media and instead chose to live a quiet life, away from public scrutiny.

Florence Bore has been leading a quiet rural life in Gatarwet village, Bureti Constituency, Kericho County, following her sacking as the Gender Cabinet Secretary after the Gen Z uprising.

Since her untimely removal from the Cabinet, little has been heard from Bore. She has kept herself out of the limelight, with only a few pictures of her in her vegetable garden emerging on social media.

Our check-up calls on Bore on Saturday, after President Ruto reshuffled his Cabinet by appointing new members, went unanswered.

Speaking in Kipsitet, Soin/Sigowet Constituency, Senate Leader of Majority Aaron Cheruiyot argued that Kericho deserves a Cabinet slot.

“We would like to appeal to the President that when he is in the process of filling his Cabinet, he shouldn’t forget to reward Kericho residents with at least one Cabinet slot. We hope the opportunity will not be snatched from us. Kericho residents are waiting for it,” he said.

Simon Chelugui, the former MSME and Cooperative Cabinet Secretary, is said to be in Nairobi doing business and leading his private life.

He has occasionally been spotted attending church functions.

Kericho Youth Bunge President Elkana Mutai said the appointment of a Kericho resident back to the Cabinet was long overdue.

Additional reporting by Nikko Tanui.