President William Ruto’s sudden demotion of some supporters in a cabinet reshuffle has been described as a warning that his administration lacks essential talent.
Wednesday’s changes affect prominent figures who were at the forefront of Ruto’s 2022 election, including party leaders who entered into a coalition agreement with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to support Ruto’s candidacy. Gave.
President Ruto’s men in Parliament yesterday said the appointment was nothing more than an attempt to intimidate defaulters, adding that the head of state will not hesitate to remove anyone who does not cooperate in fulfilling his noble promises to the Kenyan people. I added that probably not.
Analysts also see the president’s patience with some of the people he has appointed to prepare important documents quickly wearing thin.
Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Boni Halwale likened the change to firing a gun in the air rather than pointing a gun at a criminal to warn them.
He said the changes should serve as a warning to cabinet ministers and key secretaries that if they repeat the behavior that forced the president to “fire in the air”, it could lead to their outright dismissal.
“The message to those who are willing to listen is that they have to know that they are now on their own. It is not a cabinet reshuffle or a warning shot, but people are about to be fired. I am sure we will see it,” said Halwale.
However, some of the changes were not surprising, as some of the affected CSs had recently been involved in public infighting within the government and embarrassing diplomatic gaffes.
Vice President Ligati Gachagua recently warned the CS that his tenure in the cabinet is no longer based on friendship with the president, but on performance.
“If the president gives you a job, that is the end of that friendship. Friendship with the president is based on performance only. If he (Ruto) comes here today, the president will give a contract to the Kenyan people. I strongly urge them to perform because they are tied together,” Gachagua warned at the state assembly.
Former Mendeleo Chap-Chup party leader Alfred Mutua was one of the biggest casualties, with his documents on foreign affairs and diaspora issues passed on to the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudabadi.
Although Dr. Mutua was the principal of Kenya Kwanzaa, he has now been demoted to the less influential Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Initially, this document included a heritage department, which has since been hidden.
Another principal of the Kenya Kwanzaa Alliance, Moses Kuria, a former Chama Cha Kazi party leader, also suffered a blow after he was transferred to the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management.
In what observers deemed a demotion, Mr. Kuria was stripped of his investment, trade and industry portfolio, which likely has more influence and budget than his new department.
Mr Kuria’s decision to transfer comes just two weeks after he entered into a public spat after his second-in-command reprimanded Mr Gachagua over his “arrogant response” to Kenyans over high fuel prices.
Nadi Senator Samson Chelergay and East African Legislative Assembly member David Sankok said it was no longer about the role played by individuals in election campaigns, but about their performance in realizing a bottom-up economic model. .
“There is a message on the wall for those who are not performers. The president is solely responsible to the people in the performance of his duties, so he must deal with defaulters,” Chelargay said.
Mr Sancock said: This reorganization aims to improve the efficiency of service delivery. ”
However, senatorial nominee Esther Okenyuri said Kenyans should not read too much politics into the changes as they were made to improve service delivery. .
“There is a need to avoid the temptation to unnecessarily politicize redeployment. Rather, it is important to assess how perfectly the new appointee fits into the new role,” Okenyuri said.
“The appointment of the Prime Minister as the Director-General for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs is a sign that the President and his administration will implement the foreign and diaspora policy as the main driving force to carry out the ‘plan’ with a skilled hand.” It clearly speaks to the importance we place on the Docket.”
But Mr Curia remained bullish in the face of relegation and hit out at anonymous critics. While inaugurating an industrial park in Garissa, Mr Kuria said his own outstanding performance contributed to his decision to transfer from the ministry.
He posted a random photo of Dr Gachagua without a caption on his social media handles on Wednesday night, sparking a debate over whether he was blaming the Democratic Progressive Party for his woes.
“I’ll always have a lot of enemies. But I’m going to keep acting, and if you don’t like me…those who are celebrating my personnel change, within the next six months. They go to the president again and say they’re going to ask for another reshuffle because I’m going to act, just like I did in this service. When I was in charge of one document. If I had a problem with that, I’m going to end up having more problems because I have more of a role now,” Clear said.
“I don’t have time for political bickering. I want to say to you, members of the Cabinet, that I don’t mean it in bad faith. If you don’t deliver, I will report to the President. I will honor this service with pride.” I’m quitting, but I’m a very motivated person. I’m very proud. Tomorrow I promised the people of Vihiga that I would go there. Let me tell you, there We have to go to set up an industrial park,” he added.
However, experts believe that Mr. Kuria was absent from two presidential visits to the United States, and in one of them, former CSA Adan Mohamed was introduced as the actual official, so his days at the trade office have been uneventful. Although he has expressed the opinion that he has become a member, he is merely an advisor. president.
A few months ago, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai appeared to downplay CS during a tour of the country, but refused to explain why.
Mr. Curia will be replaced by Rebecca Miano, who previously served as Secretary of the Ministry of East African Communities and the Ministry of Atalus.
Ms Penina Maronza will take over Ms Miano’s previous portfolio, while Ms Alice Wahome, who is embroiled in a dispute with Water PS Cyprono Rono, will be transferred to the more powerful Ministry of Lands and share her position with Mr Zakaria Nigel. Exchanged.
Sports CS Above Namwamba saw his duties stripped from the arts department. The department will be part of a new department within the Ministry of Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage, and will be headed by Ms Aisha Jumwa. Namwamba’s ministry is now the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Jumwa’s transfer also feels like a demotion.
Professor David Monda, a political commentator and lecturer at the City University of New York, said the president appears to be transferring incompetence from one document to another.
“This provides ammunition for his critics, undermining the veracity of his claims to lead a clean and professional government. Many of his ministers are incompetent and need to be transferred or even fired. Some may argue that it is also necessary,” Professor Monda said.
“It also depicts a president trying to rebuild a cabinet that has been lackluster and incompetent in many ways. Particular emphasis was placed on foreign and trade documents. Dr. Mutua and Moses Kuria’s review “The placement appears to be a significant demotion from previously high-profile documents,” he added.
He said the changes also appeared to be aimed at strengthening Mudabadi’s hand in the Gachagua camp, as Dr Ruto sought to win votes in opposition strongholds such as Mudabadi’s native western Kenya. He said he would step up efforts.
“This will put Mt Kenya and Ukambani supporters in check as they are not guaranteed the ministerial list they took for granted. Government officials are also wary, as this may not be the only personnel change to occur.
Governance expert Javas Bigambo said the appointment sends a message to senior government officials that the president has options and that loyalty and performance should go hand in hand.
“The President warned that confidence in the job performance of some members of his cabinet was waning. He also sublimely demonstrated that performance matters at the margins of loyalty. to Moses Kuria,” said Mr. Bigambo.
