President William Ruto (right) and former Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi at State House, Nairobi, on January 14, 2024.
A Cabinet reshuffle is looming with fresh details indicating that President William Ruto could welcome at least two new faces into his ever-changing broad-based government, amid mounting pressure from a ‘jilted’ Mt Kenya backyard.
Highly placed sources within the presidency intimate that the President will tap into political old hands from Mt Kenya East as he seeks to stem a fierce political onslaught from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
On Sunday, the Head of State met with veteran politician and former Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi at State House, with the sources saying the meeting is part of an ongoing plot to ring-fence Mt Kenya East from inroads by Mr Gachagua.
According to the sources, President Ruto is keen on re-organising his Cabinet by welcoming two seasoned politicians from the restive region but with a bias on the East where he still feels he has a chance to turn the tide against his estranged former deputy.
“Unlike in the past when the President made a reshuffle following a fierce pushback from young people, the Head of State is keen on reshuffling his Cabinet with eyes on salvaging his waning support in Mt Kenya,” said one of the sources.
2.9 million votes
According to sources, former Meru Governor Peter Munya is one of the Mt Kenya East politicians that the President is looking to bring on board to help him reassert his popularity in the region.
In the wider scheme of things, sources say, Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa could pay the price as the President moves to assuage the growing dissatisfaction in a region that gave him more than 2.9 million votes in the last election.
The meeting with Mr Murungi comes at a time when Dr Ruto has been under mounting pressure from Mr Gachagua and his allies who have publicly challenged the Head of State to a political duel in the region.
It comes hot on the heels of a press briefing by Public Service and Human Capital Development Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi who took on the President over the rising cases of abductions in the country.
The minister broke ranks with the government in which he serves, as he took on his boss over extra-judicial operations targeting perceived enemies and critics of the regime.
Political pundits say that the former Attorney-General’s utterances are a sure sign that he could either be preparing to resign from his position or he could be inviting the President to sack him as the ground continues to turn against the government of the day.
Mr Muturi, who is also a former Speaker of the National Assembly, is the first CS in Dr Ruto’s government to publicly condemn the abductions of critics of the Kenya Kwanza regime.
This comes as some senior State officials with future political ambitions — mainly from the Mt Kenya region — are becoming increasingly uncomfortable working in the government.
“Two more senior government officials, among them a Cabinet Secretary, are set to resign from the Kenya Kwanza administration in the coming days for political reasons,” said another source.
Nonetheless, Director of Public Communication at State House, Wanjohi Githae, told the Nation that the meeting between the President and Mr Murungi had nothing to do with a looming Cabinet reshuffle, but he admitted that the two discussed “matters of national importance”.
“The two have been friends for a long time, having served in Parliament as MPs for some years. What I can tell you is that they discussed matters of national importance,” said Mr Githae.
Mr Kiraitu, who is also the chairman of the National Oil Corporation, recently said Meru County, — with one minister, CS Mugaa — has been left in the cold when the President made nominations to the Cabinet in December.
Treated like a doormat
“The Meru people are wondering why there is not even an ambassador appointed from the community. It is painful that despite Meru residents having overwhelmingly voted for Kenya Kwanza as well as Azimio, they have been left out,” said Mr Murungi.
Mt Kenya East — made up of three counties; Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi — have always been “victims” of the dominance of West that is made up of Laikipia, Murang’a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua and Nakuru counties.
“Meru is being treated like the dog that accompanies the hunter to the bush but is chased out of the dining table. We’re being treated like a doormat. Meru is clearly sinking into political oblivion and everybody is taking us for granted. Time has come for the Meru people to reunite, refocus and chart a way forward for our people,” added Mr Murungi.
In December last year, Dr Ruto went for seasoned politicians from Mt Kenya region to replace individuals in his Cabinet who are “seen as politically inconsequential”, sacrificing the latter at the altar of numbers.
Dr Andrew Karanja (Agriculture) and Dr Margaret Nyambura (ICT and Digital Economy) were dropped as ministers. Former Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo were picked to fill their positions. The two were vetted by the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The President also brought former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui from the political cold and nominated him for the Trade docket. MPs also vetted him on Tuesday.
The move is seen as part of a clever pushback by the President against his critics in Mt Kenya region.
However, former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, who was sacked by the President last year in July has accused Dr Ruto’s administration of sidelining the region.
“We are tired of being taken for granted and treated as second fiddle. We are very important people. Our 800,000 votes must count, and we are now wiser than before. We were lied to, and we felt the effects,” Mr Linturi said.
The recent installation of Prof Kithure Kindiki — who comes from the minority East — as the spokesperson of the larger Mt Kenya region, and his subsequent elevation as the Deputy President, had been seen as an attempt to allay fears in the East that have always felt that it was given the short end of the stick.
After managing to stem the Gen Z pressure mid-last year, arguably the hardest test to his presidency, Dr Ruto is now dealing with a “jilted lover” in Mt Kenya region.
Like a man juggling a hot potato in bare hands, President Ruto has had to deal with growing political heat occasioned by the impeachment of Mr Gachagua in October last year.
With his back to the wall, Dr Ruto has adopted a carrot-and-stick leadership style amid rising criticism of his administration and dwindling political fortunes, with various opinion polls showing his popularity is on a downward trajectory.
After dishing out positions to the opposition while forming his broad-based government, President Ruto has had to reach out to former President Uhuru Kenyatta for a political truce.
As a result, Dr Ruto has opened doors to his predecessor's men into his government in a twin strategy meant to appease the vote-rich region as well as cut to size any growing influence in the region by Mr Gachagua.
