Anxiety has gripped the top echelons of President William Ruto’s government after the Public Service Commission (PSC) advertised Principal Secretary positions.
The advertisement signalled the inevitable reshuffle of the Principal Secretaries (PSs), with those perceived to be allies of the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua likely to be shown the door.
Article 155 (a) of the constitution mandates the PSC to recommend to the President suitable persons for nomination and appointment as Principal Secretaries.
“Following various reassignments within the senior ranks of the executive, a vacancy has arisen with the ranks of Principal Secretaries,” said PSC in the advert. Interested individuals have until December 4.
President Ruto and Mr Gachagua swept to power on the voting strength of their Rift Valley and Mt Kenya, a scenario that saw them pick a majority of top government officials, including PSs, from the two regions. In their first months in office, Mr Gachagua swayed influence, which allowed him to bring people into government.
With the fallout, the President is keen to reorganise his administration to take care of the new political realignments that have seen him close ranks with opposition leader Raila Odinga .
Create positions for allies
This implies that some of Mr Gachagua's allies will be fired to create positions for allies of Mr Odinga. Sources described the impending reshuffle as a ‘bloodbath’ that would affect even non-performers, who may not be necessarily close to Mr Gachagua.
There are also reports of Cabinet changes in filling the Interior and National Administration that fell vacant after the elevation of Prof. Kithure Kindiki to the country’s second-in-command.
The President is also expected to fill the Gender docket, which is vacant after MPs rejected Stella Soi , who had been nominated for the position. Some of the CSs are said to be lobbying to take up the plum Interior docket.
The President will also be filling the State Department for Performance and Delivery Management that fell vacant after Veronica Mueni was appointed as the Secretary General of the East African Community by the Summit of the Heads of State.
Signs of a purge targeting Mr Gachagua’s allies have been evident in the last couple of days after some of those perceived to be close to him were fired from parastatal boards, and their positions taken up by the President's loyalists.
Some of the high-profile individuals, who have since fallen victim for associating with Mr Gachagua, include the immediate Tana Water Works Development Agency chairman James Gathaka and Peter Weru (chairman of Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation). The two were replaced by Teobald Wambugu and Thuo Mathenge, respectively, in a gazette notice dated November 15, 2024.
In Parliament, Laikipia Senator John Kinyua became the first casualty after he surprisingly ‘resigned’ from the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). Mr Kinyua was among Senators from Mt Kenya, who opposed Mr Gachagua’s impeachment. He was replaced by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, who voted for the impeachment. The President is also set to make changes in the leadership of departmental committees in both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Early in the month, Mr Odinga held a meeting with his former ODM members currently serving in the Cabinet alongside party officials. Mr Odinga held talks with Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya (Co-operatives and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development), Hassan Joho (Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs), John Mbadi (National Treasury and Planning) in Nairobi, where they reportedly discussed the impending reorganization of the government.
In the planned reshuffle, Dr Ruto is not only seeking to take care of new partners from ODM but also to ensure that those who remain after Mr Gachagua’s ouster have no questionable loyalty to him.
The broad-based government means that Mr Odinga and his troops will have to be accommodated, with reports that he may have been promised an additional Cabinet post and at least 10 Principal Secretary slots.
The same is also expected to cascade down to the level of heads of parastatals and even ambassadorial positions. Already, some of Mr Odinga’s allies were appointed to chair parastatal boards. In the recent appointments, Odinga’s sister, Wenwa Akinyi , was appointed by the President to serve as the Chairperson of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, for a period of three years.
President also appointed former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero to serve as the chairperson of the board of directors of Kenya National Trading Corporation for a period of three years.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, who was tapped from ODM by Dr Ruto also made appointments in his capacity as a CS. Mr Wandayi made three key appointments to the National Oil Corporation board (NOC). He appointed Michael Rubia, Albert Ojonyo and Lokiru Ali Mohammed to serve on the board. Mr Rubia is a member of the ODM National Executive Council (NEC). Mr Ojonyo is also a close ally from Siaya County.
There is almost a consensus that without Mr Odinga’s support, President Ruto wouldn’t have dared to go for Mr Gachagua. Not only did Mr Odinga’s camp provide the numbers in Parliament, but it also offered a political buffer to deal with any backlash.
