From left: Ababu Namwamba, Aisha Jumwa, Mithika Linturi and Eliud Owalo.
President William Ruto appears to have resorted to recycling leaders in his administration – including those he had fired over alleged incompetence as well as those who served in former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration – as a strategy for his 2027 re-election.
A promise to re-hire former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi adds to the growing trend by the President of trying to keep some of his 2022 campaigners and allies in his fold ahead of the next elections while at the same time reaching out to his erstwhile political enemies.
Analysts and political players observe that the decision could be a strategy to avoid a scenario of having key 2022 allies joining forces with his opponents to challenge his second term bid.
With former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua already leading an anti-Ruto narrative in the populous Mt Kenya region that swept the President to power, having other forces join hands is seen as a threat to his plan.
During his five-day tour of Mt Kenya, President Ruto disclosed that he was already in talks with Mr Linturi and Peter Munya, both former Agriculture Cabinet secretaries.
“Peter Munya and my friend Mithika Linturi; these two leaders are already in talks with me, and we have a plan. Relax, everything is in order,” said President Ruto.
Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
He made the remarks in response to a request by Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma, who appealed to him to consider bringing back the two leaders in his administration.
Following the June 2024 youth-led protest, President Ruto fired a total of 12 Cabinet secretaries. But barely eight months later, he has rehired half of them, with a promise of bringing back more through various State appointments.
Dr Ruto dismissed the entire Cabinet, re-appointed some, and let go of Prof Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury and Planning), Ezekiel Machogu (Education), Aisha Jumwa (Gender, Culture, the Arts & Heritage), Zachariah Mwangi Njeru (Water, Sanitation & Irrigation), Eliud Owalo (Information, Communications and the Digital Economy), Moses Kuria (Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management) and Mithika Linturi (Agriculture and Livestock Development).
Others were Ababu Namwamba (Youth Affairs and Sports), Simon Chelugui (Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development), Florence Bore (Labour and Social Protection) and Susan Nakhumicha Wafula (Health).
Susan Nakhumicha.
On August 23, 2024, the President first re-appointed Mr Kuria as a Senior Advisor in his Council of Economic Adviser and Mr Owalo as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Performance and Delivery Management.
And in a gazette notice dated January 17, 2025, the President further appointed Ms Jumwa as the non-executive chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board for a period of three years.
Ababu Namwamba.
Also appointed in January included Mr Namwamba (Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Dr Andrew Karanja, who served barely three months as Agriculture CS, as Kenya’s envoy to Brazil. Ms Margaret Nyambura, who also served barely for three months, however declined her nomination as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Ghana.
Ms Nakhumicha is the latest to get a soft landing after President Ruto last month nominated her as Kenyan permanent representative to the UN-Habitat in Nairobi.
The recent shake-up in which the President nominated 14 individuals to serve as Principal Secretaries also saw the recycling of more state officers as those dropped we handed ambassadorial jobs. Mr Alfred K’Ombudo, formerly Trade PS was nominated as Deputy Head of Mission in Brussels, Belgium while his Sports counterpart Peter Tum was moved to serve as Kenya’s Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya’s Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Peter Tum.
Prof Edward Kisiangani (PS Broadcasting and Telecommunications) was named Senior Advisor & Member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors while Geoffrey Kaituko, who served as Principal Secretary for Shipping and Maritime Affairs was moved to serve as the country’s Head of Mission to Rome, Italy.
In a recent interview, Dr Ruto said that he believes in giving people a second chance. He made the remarks in reference to the immediate former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, whom he described as “fairly incompetent” during his tenure as the country’s Attorney General.
“I am a person who believes in giving people a second chance. Even though many leaders did not favour my friend Gachagua, I still gave him a chance. I am a strong believer that when you are friends, you don’t just dismiss friends. It applies to JB Muturi, even when it was difficult for him to perform as AG, but because he was my friend, we worked together, we campaigned together, I was willing to give him a second chance. I gave Justin a second chance, but in the process, he dismissed himself. What did you expect me to do?” he posed.
US-based university lecturer and political analyst, Prof David Monda, says the trend reflects badly on Dr Ruto’s leadership, especially by recycling officials kicked out over poor performance.
“To use a sports analogy, a team is only as good as its coach. Poor results from the team, reflect badly on a coach. The fans (voters) will not be happy. This will cost Ruto at the ballot in 2027.
Also, the constant chopping and changing of Cabinet, not only makes the president look weak and indecisive, but it leads to a lot of uncertainty in government and anxiety in the public domain,” says Prof Monda.
He says that because of the uncertainty in government, State officers cannot deliver as a result of constant reshuffling.
Public anxiety
“These constant Cabinet changes also raise public anxiety as the delivery of public goods like universal health insurance (SHA) end up unfulfilled and increasingly poorly implemented,” he adds.
Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi and his Kakamega counterpart Ayub Savula argue that the President appears more interested in managing his re-election bid. Mr Mwangagi says the President seeks to keep and please his allies, who campaigned for his 2022 election. He says that by handing them State appointments even after being fired from other roles, the President is sure of retaining the team for his re-election bid.
“Some of these people gave him all manner of support. Falling out with some of them has the potential of hurting his re-election bid,” said Mr Mwangangi.
Mr Savula observes that the President is already in his 2027 re-election bid and was busy putting up a campaign team through some of the appointments.
“He is playing 2027 politics. It is not about service delivery, but an attempt to put together a campaign team. People like Mithika and Munya are seen to enjoy substantive support in their areas, therefore crucial for his elections,” says Mr Savula.
Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, an ally of Mr Gachagua, says re-cycling of Cabinet ministers and other State officials says a lot about President Ruto’s style of leadership. He says the constant shuffling of leaders is a sign of poor leadership quality.
“Today they are CSs, tomorrow they are advisors and the other day ambassadors. Secondly, Ruto was not looking for people to help him in his agenda. They just hold the office for compliance with the law, otherwise, he has demonstrated to be a micro manager, driving every aspect of governance leaving them to be yes men and women and flower girls,” says Mr Muriu.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Organising Secretary Vincent Kawaya, who is also the Mwala MP, says the President has to balance politics and service delivery. He says development can only be realized in a conducive political environment.
He says the President’s decision to keep his 2022 partners as well as to go for his opponents, including opposition leader Raila Odinga, is meant to create political stability that is necessary for any meaningful development.
mnyamori@ke.nationmedia.com
