Ruto names acting Cabinet Secretaries pending vetting of nominees
President William Ruto has given additional responsibilities to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Environment CS Aden Duale and Sports CS Salim Mvurya pending the parliamentary vetting of three new ministers.
Mudavadi, who has been serving as Gender CS and recently relinquished his role as acting Interior Cabinet Secretary to substantive holder Kipchumba Murkomen, will now serve in an acting capacity as Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary is currently the CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Mr Mudavadi will hold the position until former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo, who was recently appointed to the post in the government's mini reshuffle, is vetted and approved by Parliament.
Environment CS Mr Duale has been given the Agriculture portfolio on an acting basis pending the vetting of former Health CS Mr Mutahi Kagwe, who has been appointed to the post by the President.
Sports CS Mvurya, who was Trade CS until the recent changes, will continue to serve in the same docket until Parliament vets and approves the appointment of former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui to the post.
The National Assembly has issued a notice to vet newly appointed Cabinet Secretaries, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and members of the Public Service Commission.
Mr Kagwe will be the first to face the Appointments Committee on January 14, followed by Mr Kabogo and Mr Kinyanjui on the same day.
The vetting will begin with Mr Kagwe at 12pm, followed by Mr Kabogo at 3pm and Mr Kinyanjui at 5pm.
Those nominated for diplomatic posts will appear before the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee on January 10, including former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba, who was selected to be the UNEP representative in Nairobi.
Members nominated by the President to the Public Service Commission will appear before the Labour Committee on 9 January.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge, said in the notice that all nominees will be expected to produce clearance letters and certificates of compliance from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Higher Education Loans Board (Helb), Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Office of the Registrar of Political Parties as well as a Credit Reference Bureau (CRB).
