Uhuru wins big in Ruto Cabinet shuffle on return of familiar faces

President William Ruto. [File,Standard]

Allies of former President Uhuru Kenyatta have made a comeback into the government as Cabinet Secretaries, as President William Ruto fired two of his CSs.

In a mini shuffle announced yesterday evening by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, former Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe was nominated to serve in the Agriculture docket. Kagwe replaces Andrew Karanja, who was sacked and nominated to serve as Kenya’s Ambassador to Brazil.

Former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui will get the Investment, Trade and Industry docket, replacing Salim Mvurya, who now heads to the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry.

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo was nominated to the ICT Ministry, replacing Margaret Ndung’u, who Ruto sacked from the Cabinet, nominating her to serve as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Ghana.

The Standard yesterday exclusively reported that Ruto was to sack two CSs and grant them ambassadorial roles.

Kipchumba Murkomen takes over the powerful Interior Ministry, which has been stewarded by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi since Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s elevation. Murkomen has also served as Transport CS.

Sources had told The Standard that Ruto wanted a trusted hand to lead the Interior docket. Murkomen, a staunch Ruto ally, has previously served as Transport minister. He hails from the Head of State’s Rift Valley backyard.

President Ruto is however yet to fill the Gender docket whose nominee Stella Soi was rejected in August by MPs at vetting. The report tabled before the House described her as unsuitable.

"This lady (Stella Soi) is a career civil servant who has extensive experience in Public Service. However, she did not demonstrate adequate understanding of the docket to which she had been nominated and the committee found her unsuitable," Majority leader Kimani Ichungwa, told the house.

Yesterday, Koskei said the shuffle was aimed at optimising “service delivery as set out in the administration’s revitalised plan under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.”

“By dint of the Presidential action and subject to the requisite parliamentary approval processes, the individuals who will join the esteemed ranks as our nation’s Cabinet foreign service and State Corporations are as follows,” the notice read in part.

Parliament, currently on recess until February next year, is expected to cut short its break to vet and vote on the nominations. CSs are on a holiday break until January 5, with insiders revealing that the President had wanted to start 2025 on a clean slate.

Ruto was reportedly concerned that some ministers did not articulate government policies satisfactorily. “The President is keen to tame incompetence in his government,” said a highly-placed source.

He had also warned poor performers that they would face sanctions.

“Excellence, integrity, efficiency and consistency will be rewarded while failure, negligence, waste and misconduct will prompt corrective action,” Ruto said last month as he witnessed the signing of performance contracts. 

Former Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, another of Uhuru’s allies, was appointed to chair the Kenya Revenue Authority board, an influential role previously held by Anthony Mwaura, appointed the Kenya Rural Roads Authority Chairperson.

The appointment of Uhuru’s allies is an apparent move to secure support from Mt Kenya, which is quickly dumping the President since former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment.

Sources said Ruto views a partnership with Uhuru as the most feasible way of taming Gachagua’s growing influence in Mt Kenya.

Kabogo, a veteran politician, was previously linked to succeeding Uhuru as Mt Kenya’s kingpin.

Former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba makes a comeback as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme at the UN’s office in Nairobi.

Former Justice PS in the Kibaki administration Dorothy Angote was nominated to serve as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe. Former Murang’a Senator Kembi Gitura was appointed to chair the Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital board, a job previously held by Olive Mugenda.