Embattled President William Ruto of Kenya has started the process of forming a new broad-based Cabinet by picking the first batch of 11 nominees.
The President retained six of his initial 22 Cabinet Secretaries and named five new faces for consideration and approval by the National Assembly.
Nominees from the immediate past Cabinet are Prof Kithure Kindiki (Interior and National Administration), Mr Aden Duale (Defence), Mrs Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Urban Development and Housing), Ms Soipan Tuya (Environment, Climate Change and Forestry) and Mr Davis Chirchir (Roads and Transport).
Ms Rebecca Miano is the Attorney-General nominee.
Mr Chirchir was previously the Energy Cabinet Secretary, while Ms Miano was the CS Investment, Trade and Industrialisation.
The new faces nominated to Cabinet are Dr Debra Mulongo Barasa (Health), Mr Julius Migosi Ogamba (Education), Dr Andrew Mwihia Karanja (Agriculture and Livestock Development), Mr Eric Muriithi Muuga (Water, Sanitation and Irrigation) and Ms Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u (Information, Communication and Digital Economy).
Speaking at a press conference at State House Nairobi on Friday, President Ruto said the government was enhancing, broadening and deepening the national economic turnaround Plan as outlined in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
He said a wider range of ideas, programmes and interventions is needed to facilitate job creation, robust debt management, enhanced transparency and accountability in the use of public resources, mobilise more domestic resources and optimise public expenditure.
Referring to what has been happening in the country in the past one month, the President pointed out that Kenya’s credentials as a democratic nation have been severely tested.
“During this time, the country has engaged in a difficult public conversation, providing an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between fundamental rights and democratic freedoms, our collective aspirations for prosperity and efforts to secure opportunities for all, and the imperative to advance the security of the State,” said President Ruto.
In this discourse, President Ruto said the people of Kenya have expressed their views on governance, development, economic management, national finances and many other aspects of national life.
“It is of utmost importance that the Government takes measures to affirm our commitment to actualising the people’s aspirations, assure citizens that the State exists to serve them and to signal to all that our national values and principles of governance are the foundation of our national dispensation,” said Dr Ruto.
President Ruto pointed out the issues that have come to the fore in the ongoing national conservation, citing the need for accelerated programmes to increase food production, and thus reduce the cost of living, and expand existing job-creation programmes and create new intervention to address unemployment that affects millions of young people.
The President also cited the necessity for a public conversation on innovative, prudent, transparent and accountable use of public resources, along with people-friendly ways of mobilising domestic resource and reducing public expenditure.
He also cited also the imperative of addressing the challenge of public debt and the need to establish mechanisms that reduce public borrowing and insulate the country from risks associated with debt accumulation and financial management.
“It is therefore critically important to constitute a more inclusive government that unlocks the potential of citizens from all sectors to drive national transformation,” he added.
The President explained that he was fulfilling his undertaking to the nation to consult widely on the establishment of a broad-based Government that would harness the enormous potential in our country and boost economic transformation and inclusive growth.
“While the events of the past month have caused tremendous anxiety, concern and uncertainty, the crisis has presented us with a great opportunity to craft a broad-based and inclusive citizen coalition for national transformation and progress, made up of Kenyans from all walks of life,” he said.
The President made it clear that it was evident that the country has been in a crisis caused by multiple and complex factors.
“We should recognise that the opportunity before us is greater than the crisis. Together, we have a chance to take our country where we all want it to be and make our nation the Kenya, we all want: A great nation,” he said.
