President William Ruto chairs a cabinet meeting in State House, Nairobi.
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Why Ruto’s Cabinet is jittery over looming reshuffle
What you need to know:
- According to sources, the President is keen to see his administration achieve its plans and wants top government officials to lead from the front.
- A mini-reshuffle effected slightly over a month ago, saw all the CSs and PSs retained, with only a few shifted to other dockets.
Fear has gripped President William Ruto’s Cabinet, with reports indicating that there could be a reshuffle in the coming weeks.
Insiders privy to the goings-on, have confided in the Sunday Nation that some members of the Cabinet have been seeking to establish their fate from those close to the President.
While President Ruto has so far not dropped anyone from his Cabinet, he has publicly registered his frustration with some for being clueless about their roles.
Coming in the backdrop of two Cabinet retreats this year, the President even beseeched his team to consult, seek advice and share ideas with him that will lead to the delivery and fulfilment of his campaign pledges.
Multiple sources have told the Sunday Nation that the President is keen to see his administration achieve its plans and wants top government officials to lead from the front.
"There is uncertainty among some CSs and PSs, especially those that have had a run-in with the people within the Presidency. Some are not sure if they are still in the President's good books. Some have even been dropped from events that the President attends locally or abroad,” said one source.
“Some CSs have been accused of being inaccessible to legislators and the citizens. This is what is hurting Kenya Kwanza's dream to deliver,” another source said.
”Some have openly said they are not sure of the President's plans,” yet another source said.
The concerns are around the seamless operations of the government with the CSs and PSs as the chief executors.
“Some CSs have gone rogue and have taken to insulting elected leaders in funerals. How do you expect them to respect mama mboga and boda boada people?” Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei recently said.
The outspoken Senator said the Senate has been mulling over drafting impeachment motions against some of the CSs and passed the same to the National Assembly for consideration.
“Some are busy with succession politics at the expense of the delivery. They are using their dockets to settle political scores. They should be held to account for their actions,” he said.
President Ruto has in the past scolded his CSs and PSs for being clueless about the operations of their ministries and departments.
“I call many PSs and ask them what is going on and they have no clue, yet that is their job. You are the PS or the minister and you don’t have information. How do you run a ministry, a department, or a parastatal if you have no information? That is the highest level of incompetence,” the Head of State said in August.
The President disclosed at the end of the two-day retreat in Nairobi on Friday that he has established the office of the Chief of Strategy and Execution in his office to ensure the implementation of policies.
“We must follow through with some of the decisions we have made and ensure our manifesto becomes the single guiding instrument of governance that we have,” he said.
A mini-reshuffle effected slightly over a month ago, saw all the CSs and PSs retained, with only a few shifted to other dockets.
While communicating the recent changes, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said they were inline with the constitutional mandate of the President to re-assign duties.
Specifically, Koskei made reference to Article 152 (a). The same Article also provides that “The president may dismiss a Cabinet Secretary and shall dismiss a Cabinet Secretary if required to do so by a resolution adopted by the National Assembly."
“Heads must roll. Kenyans are getting impatient and there is no time to waste. Changes will also re-engineer the Cabinet to place more emphasis on servant leadership,” said a senior Kenya Kwanza official who asked not to be named.
In June, Senator Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, a close ally of the President, said no one should be spared if they don’t deliver.
"Monitor those who you have entrusted with duties. If you see one who is not committed to service delivery, please replace them with those who are ready to work,” the Senator said at interdenominational church function in Ildamat, Kajiado County with President Ruto and Deputy Rigathi Gachagua in attendance.
The Senator also assured the President that the legislature will not relent in discharging its duty to oversight the Executive to ensure Kenyans get value for money.
Recently, Cherargei appealed to the President to fire CSs who are disrespectful to MPs.
"The appointing authority must reign in on these rogue Cabinet Secretaries,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Earlier this year, President Ruto read the riot act to the members of his Cabinet, cautioning them against laxity and making irresponsible decisions that would negatively impact the citizenry.
