NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 7 – New Cabinet Secretaries will be sworn in on Thursday morning following approval by the National Assembly.
The 19 Cabinet Secretary nominees will take the oath of office at State House Nairobi upon appointment by President William Ruto who reconstituted the new after dismissing some.
The approved nominees include Kindiki Kithure (Interior), Rebecca Miano (Tourism), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), Salim Mvurya (Trade), Kipchumba Murkomen (Youth Affairs), Alfred Mutua (Labour and Social Protection), and Justin Muturi (Public Service) who were all reinstated.
Others reinstated include Alice Wahome (Lands), Davis Chirchir (Roads), Soipan Tuya (Defence) and Aden Duale (Environment).
Four of the nominees were picked from Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party including John Mbadi (Treasury), Hassan Joho (Mining), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives) and Opiyo Wandayi (Energy).
The rest who include Deborah Barasa (Health), Julius Migos (Education), Andrew Muhia (Agriculture), Eric Mureithi Muga (Water), and Margaret Nyambura (ICT) are new faces.
The new Cabinet Secretaries were approved by the MPs Committee on Appointments, which rejected Stella Lang’at, the nominee for the Gender docket.
The amendment to save Lang’at’s nomination, proposed by Vihiga Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala, was withdrawn at the last minute.
Homabay Town MP Peter Kaluma urged MPs to oppose the report and include Lang’at in the Cabinet, defending her track record in public service.
“Let’s not judge her for failing to define one word called femicide. This lady will deliver, and I call for the amendment to include her in the cabinet,” Kaluma said.
Soy MP David Kiplagat added, “Maybe she was not at her best during the interview. She spoke good English and never used Kalenjin during the interview.”
Eldas MP Adan Keynan supported the report and warned the new cabinet nominees against opulence and extravagance, cautioning them about potential impeachment.
“Humility is not a sign of cowardice. I saw a former CS have her bodyguard carry her handbag. Such behaviour is an abuse of office. Those approved today should avoid opulence,” Keynan said.
Tiaty MP Kassait Kamket noted that the Generation Z protests gave the President an opportunity to streamline his administration.
“The President is lucky. The recent events allowed him to correct his administration’s course,” Kamket said.
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi advised the nominees to support the President’s agenda once in office.
“They should remember they are there to support the President and serve Kenyans, not to act as another President in their ministry,” Elachi noted.
Funyula MP Oundo Ojiambo expressed reservations about some nominees but chose to support the vetting committee’s report without amendments.
“Despite my reservations, the vetting committee has done its job. It would be unfair to contradict their work,” Ojiambo said.
Opposing the report, Makueni MP Susan Ndunge criticized the Cabinet reorganization, claiming it was deceptive as many previous Cabinet members retained their positions.
“I feel cheated. Within a month, those previously deemed incompetent were found competent. Seventy percent of the Cabinet remains the same,” Ndunge said.
She also criticized the lack of youth inclusion in the Cabinet.
“We only included one youth, which is selfish, given that 50 percent of Kenya’s population is young,” she added.
