NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 24 – President William Ruto has nominated former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho as Cabinet Secretary for Mining and Blue Economy in his second 10-member batch of Cabinet nominees.
If given a green light by Parliament Joho will succeed Salim Mvurya who has now been nominated to the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry.
Joho is among the beneficiaries of the deal between President Ruto and the Opposition to appoint key figures from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to the Cabinet to form a broad-based administration.
Ruto announced the intention to form a broad-based government following weeks of deadly protests led by the GenZs over the proposed Finance Bill 2024 which forced Ruto to decline to assent to it.
“In my last address to the nation, I undertook to consult a broad spectrum of stakeholders from all sectors, levels and regions in order to constitute a broad-based government,” Ruto said Wednesday in a televised address to the nation form State House in Nairobi.
“In line with this undertaking, I will be forwarding additional names to Parliament for vetting prior to appointment based on the understanding of the Cabinet’s essential role in driving the transformational agenda that makes Kenya a better, more just and more prosperous nation for all.”
Joho who was born in 1967 is currently the deputy party leader of the Odinga-led ODM party.
The ex-Mombasa governor joined active politics in 20o4 and was also elected to represent the Kisauni Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya during the 2007 Kenyan parliamentary election.
During the 2013 general election, Joho was elected as the first governor of Mombasa County and went on to retain the county’s top seat in the August 8, 2017 General Elections.
During the 2022 elections campaigns, ODM leader Odinga had promised to appoint Joho to lead the Lands docket in the event he took power, which never materialized after Ruto clinched the country’s top seat.
Other Opposition party beneficiaries are ODM Chairman John Mbadi who has been nominated to the treasury docket and appointed Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi who is the nominee for Energy Cabinet Secretary.
The nominations come after weeks of street protests by the GenZ youths who demanded an overhaul of the government citing rampant corruption and mismanagement of resources.
Commenting on the new nominees Ruto said that once constituted, the new Cabinet will steward the country’s transformation agenda in providing effective and efficient public services, expanding opportunities for employment and wealth creation, and improve living standards of Kenyans.
