East African Gazette and Agency
Nairobi
Following weeks of protests by the Kenyan youths under their GenZ group, Kenyan President Dr William Samoie Ruto has fired his entire cabinet and only retained his Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
At the initiation of the Finance Bill 2024, Kenyan youths thronged the streets in protest of the bill which they said would introduce new taxes hence making their livelihoods hard. They protested for weeks until the climax when they overpowered police, gained access to the parliament and set section of it on fire.
Several of these protesting youths were injured and some killed as police opened live fire to the determined GenZ. Consequently, the president declined to sign the controversial finance bill and told his MPs to trash it with immediate effect.
Even after declining to sign the controversial bill into law, the youths continued demanding that instead the President William Ruto Must step down which he has since declined and insisted he’s serving as the constitution mandates him to do.
In a rather dramatic turn of events, President Ruto has fired his entire cabinet. Most of these Ministers who are called Cabinet Secretaries in Kenya came to government through the coalition of the Kenya Kwanza government which brought together several political parties.
“Upon reflection and listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after holistic appraisal of the performance of my Cabinet and its achievements and challenges, in line with the powers given to me by Article 152(1) and 152(5)(b) of the Constitution and Section 12 of the Office of the Attorney-General
Act, 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,” Ruto said, “but my Deputy is not affected.”
Despite differences being visible that Ruto is no longer in good terms with is Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the Head of State retained him and the prime cabinet secretary (Prime Minister) Musalia Mudavadi.
List of Fires CSs, AG PCS and CS
Among the Cabinet Secretaries fired include Prof Kithure Kindiki (Interior and Adminsitration of national government), Moses Kuria(Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management), Dr Aflred Mutua (Tourism & Wildlife), Aden Duale (CS for Defense),Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury and Planning), Aisha Jumwa (Gender, Culture, the Arts & Heritage), and Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban) Development.
The others Ministers fired include Rebecca Miano (Investments, Trade & Industry), Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen (Roads and Transport), Roselinda Soipan Tuya (Environment and Forestry), Zachariah Mwangi Njeru (Water, Sanitation & Irrigation), Peninah Malonza, OGW (East African Community, The ASALs & Regional Development) and Mithika Linturi (Agriculture and Livestock Development).
The visibly angry president also fired the Attorney General who is also former Speaker of the National Assembly Justine Muturi, Ezekiel Machogu the Cabinet Secretary of Education, Davis Chirchir of Energy and Petroleum, Ababu Namwamba of Youth Affairs and Sports, Simon Chelugui (Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development), Salim Mvurya of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs and Florence Bore of Labour and Social Protection.
CS Eliud Owalo of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Cs Susan Nakhumicha Wafula of Health and Mercy Kiiru Wanjau the Secretary to the Cabinet..
It’s not clear why the president made this very tough decision that now creates a tiff with in his Kenya Kwanza government. He has recently been rubbing shoulders with his political nemesis Raila Amollo Odinga
Not yet over
Youth wants Fired CSs, AG PCS and CS be audited and held accountable if they had any cases
Although President William Ruto fired all his entire cabinet, a section of youths popularly as Generation Zs have vowed to keep pressing the government until all their demands are met.
In a space held on X after the announcement by President Ruto, the youths stated that this is only the beginning of their fight towards a better country.
They promised to keep the pressure on, until all the concerns raised during the Finance Bill 2024 protests are met.
“We have to be very petty, today we have had a win let us not get tired. We need to show them it is not business as usual,” said one of the listeners on the X Space.
In addition to the CSs being sent home, Gen Zs have suggested that all of them should be audited and held accountable if they had any cases going on.
They have expressed determination of not succumbing to any games, saying the President might be deterring them from the course.
“President Ruto is full of ‘cards’ we need to be sure which one he is playing, the first card we saw, he went and united with Raila, what is his endgame?” said another.
They also want a reshuffling of all the Permanent Secretaries (PS) once the new CSs with clean track records are in as a step to fighting corruption.
“On corruption, we are far from the end of it, after this, let us now look into The County government, it is where corruption is rampant,” they said.
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