President William Ruto (left) Top row- New Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Cabinet nominees William Kabogo (ICT), Mutahi Kagwe (Agriculture) and Lee Njiru (Trade).
President William Ruto’s nomination of allies of his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta to the Cabinet, months after co-opting opposition leader Raila Odinga’s men and adding some more in senior ranks of the Executive on Friday, point to a calculated move to broaden his coalition for purposes of securing a second term.
His move also appears designed to have key political leaders check-mate each other to rescue himself from possibly being held hostage by any of them.
By having Mr Odinga, Mr Kenyatta and Kenya Kwanza partner parties by his side, Dr Ruto seems intent to run away from the risk of relying on one politician for survival.
The strategy would also assist him dilute individual political influence while placing himself as the most consequential player in the 2027 re-election matrix. In addition, the restive Mt Kenya region is also on the President’s radar after he fell out with his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
Reports of jitters among some of the Kenya Kwanza partner parties have since emerged.
The parties that include Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), Ford Kenya of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi among others, entered into a pre-election agreement that spelt out sharing of positions.
Influential players
With the inclusion of more influential players like Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta, some of the pacts could end up being trashed.
Moses Kuria of Chama Cha Kazi was fired from the Cabinet in response to the Gen-Z protests despite having a pact with President Ruto.
Some ODM politicians have also raised concerns with the entry of allies of Mr Kenyatta.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma and his Saboti counterpart Caleb Amisi are among those who have openly complained that the party stands the risk of being short-changed.
Mr Kaluma posted on social media complaining about the lack of ethnic diversity in those perceived to be Mr Kenyatta’s nominees.
Mr Amisi told Nation that some of the individuals appointed on Thursday abandoned Azimio la Umoja Coalition immediately after Mr Odinga lost.
“I am among individuals in ODM who are against this arrangement with UDA because I know Ruto will soil our reform credentials. He is basically doing this for the political expediency of helping him stabilise the country,” said Mr Amisi.
He added: “It is all about trying to broaden his coalition for legitimacy. At the end of the day, ODM will be used the same way Uhuru used us to rule.”
Prof David Monda, a US-based Kenyan university lecturer and political analyst, notes that the latest move risks weakening Mr Odinga’s influence in government.
“He wants to weaken Raila’s bargaining position in the current political dispensation. He is doing this by increasing his options. Having Uhuru and his allies in government, to ensure Raila knows he's not the only game in town,” says Prof Monda.
He notes that the reshuffle also reminds Kenya Kwanza partner parties that they are not indispensable and that their fortunes can change for the worse if political winds change and Ruto does not need them anymore.
“I really see this reshuffle as an effort by Ruto to improve his odds in the Mountain. This reshuffle also shows the dynamism of Kenyan politics. As much as things seem to stay the same, they can radically change in an instant. Today's hustlers can revisit history and re-engage yesterday's dynasties that they derided,” he said.
In his latest appointments, President Ruto has gone for seasoned politicians in what analysts believe is part of his pushback against critics, led by his estranged deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
During the swearing-in of Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki, the President admitted having been lonely at the top to defend unpopular government programs and projects.
The remarks pointed to his desire to have a Cabinet of politicians, who can go out to defend and propagate his government agenda. Already, former CSs Margaret Nyambura (ICT) and Andrew Karanja (Agriculture) became casualties of this plan when they were dropped to have seasoned politicians take up their slots.
While seasoned politicians who were brought in from Mr Odinga’s ODM have turned into fierce defenders of Dr Ruto’s administration, technocrats, who were brought in with them, seem to be struggling to fit in.
His picks from ODM included former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs) former Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi (Energy and Petroleum), former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho (Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs) and former ODM chairman John Mbadi (National Treasury and Economic Planning).
By nominating key allies of Mr Kenyatta to the Cabinet, President Ruto also seems to be daring his estranged deputy, Mr Gachagua, to a duel in the populous Mt Kenya region — and correcting a July reshuffle that many criticised for bringing in political greenhorns from the region.
President Ruto tapped Mr Mutahi Kagwe to take charge of the Agriculture and Livestock Development docket if approved by the National Assembly.
He also nominated former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.
Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo could also land a ministerial role after he was nominated to serve as Information, Communication and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary. Mr Kagwe hails from Mr Gachagua’s Nyeri County and has served in the Cabinets of Mwai Kibaki and Mr Kenyatta.
Mr Kabogo, who was allied to Dr Ruto in the 2022 General Election but seemed to have been dislodged from the centre after the polls, was a key Mr Kenyatta ally in 2013 and 2017. He hails from Kiambu. On the other hand, Mr Kinyanjui hails from what is seen as the diaspora Mt Kenya in Nakuru.
Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni dismissed the assertions that the names were fronted by Mr Kenyatta.
He said Mr Kagwe has never been a member of Jubilee Party while Nderitu Muriithi, who was named chairman of Kenya Revenue Authority resigned to take up a job at Kimathi University. He also said that Kabogo and Mr Kinyanjui belonged to other political outfits.
He told Nation that Mr Kenyatta is a national leader, and would have picked individuals from across the nation, not just from Mt Kenya. He also said that the fact that no woman was picked is a confirmation that the former Head of State was not involved.
“As Jubilee, we are not in any government, we remain in the opposition. I believe if Uhuru was involved, he would have fronted my name. The fact that he did not means he does not want Jubilee to be associated with Kenya Kwanza administration,” said Mr Kioni.
He added: “The only thing left for this regime is propaganda. They want to survive on the goodwill of other people. That is why they want to make it look like there is a deal between Ruto and Uhuru. Ruto is trying to have people who can speak for him in Mt Kenya. If he thinks that appointing someone from my village will make him popular again, let him wait for the 2027s elections.”
Last evening, President Ruto made even more appointments — both from Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga’s corner.
