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Nairabi, Kenya, July 19, 2024 /ChatnewsTV/ — Kenyan President William Ruto has announced a new cabinet, largely retaining members from the previous administration he dismissed last week in response to youth-led protests. The cabinet shake-up is part of efforts to address the demands of demonstrators and stabilize his presidency amid growing unrest.
In a televised address, Ruto revealed 11 appointments, including six holdovers from the previous cabinet. He assured that additional appointments would follow soon. The reshuffling comes in the wake of mass protests that forced Ruto to retract $2.7 billion in proposed tax hikes, marking the most significant crisis of his two-year presidency.
The demonstrations, which have claimed over 50 lives since mid-June, continue to press for Ruto’s resignation despite his recent concessions. Reappointed ministers include those for interior, defense, environment, and lands, with slight portfolio adjustments for two other ministers.
Among the new appointees, Julius Migos Ogamba has been nominated as education minister, succeeding Ezekiel Machogu. Ogamba was Machogu’s running mate in his unsuccessful 2022 bid for governor of Kisii County. Notably, the nominees for health, information, agriculture, water, and education are largely devoid of political backgrounds, signaling a potential shift in governance approach.
“I will be issuing next week a clear roadmap on the assignment that the new cabinet is going to have, with clear timelines and deliverables,” Ruto announced, emphasizing a structured plan for the new government’s responsibilities.
Despite these efforts, leading activists remain skeptical. Hanifa Farsafi, a prominent protest organizer, criticized the appointments, posting the list of nominees on social media with “REJECTED” stamped across it in red. The protests, which lack an official leader and denounce the entire political class as corrupt, have voiced strong opposition to the new cabinet.
Ruto’s administration is under immense pressure from international lenders to address high national debt, while also grappling with a populace burdened by rising living costs. Proposed austerity measures aim to reduce the deficit, exacerbated by the abandoned tax increases.
Earlier reports had suggested that Ruto might include members of the political opposition in his new cabinet, a move that protesters vehemently oppose. They argue that such a unity government would merely continue Kenya’s tradition of political leaders co-opting opposition figures with lucrative positions, leaving ordinary citizens with little to no benefit.
