President William Ruto has stated that the Gen Z-led protests have provided an opportunity for the country to rebuild. Kenyans, particularly young people known as Gen Z, took to the streets demanding accountability and good governance from the government.
These protests pressured the President to reject the Finance Bill 2024, which initially sparked the demonstrations. In response, Ruto dissolved his previous cabinet and is currently reconstituting a new one, which he described as broad-based and representative of all Kenyans.
“Yale mambo yametokea, sio maneno mabaya zaidi kwa sababu yametupatia nafasi ya kutengeneza Kenya mpya,” Ruto said.
President William Ruto remarked that the recent events, despite their challenges, have ultimately provided an opportunity to rebuild the country afresh. He bowed to pressure by rejecting the Finance Bill and referred it back to Parliament for the deletion of all contentious clauses.
He also introduced several government measures, including austerity steps to reduce spending.
Speaking on Sunday in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, the President attributed the failure of the Finance Bill, which had initially sparked the street protests, to propaganda and rumors. He mentioned that many of the development projects he planned to implement were part of the Finance Bill.
This bill aimed to raise an additional Sh346 billion in revenue through new taxes that many Kenyans found punitive.
“The budget is now in limbo, with some voting ‘No,’ and all that was lost,” Ruto said, explaining the situation in Swahili. He also clarified that claims of clauses in the bill regarding the taxation of land and cancer patients were falsehoods.
“Sasa imerudi tena niende nifanye ukarabati ingine, na ni fitina tupu, ooh sijui imewekwa mambo ya cancer, sijui imewekwa nini ya mashamba na yote ni porojo na uongo lakini ya Mungu ni meng,” he said.
President William Ruto addressed residents in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, promising to complete stalled government projects in the region. However, he noted that the completion of some projects might be delayed as they were budgeted for in the rejected Finance Bill.
On Wednesday, Ruto revealed his final list of Cabinet nominees, with two positions still vacant: Attorney General and Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), and Regional Development. So far, he has nominated 20 individuals to lead various government departments.
Key nominations include Kipchumba Murkomen for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Rebecca Miano for the Ministry of Tourism, Justin Muturi for the Ministry of Public Service, Salim Mvurya for the Ministry of Trade, and Alfred Mutua for the Ministry of Labour.
In a move towards inclusivity, Ruto also nominated members allied with Opposition leader Raila Odinga to the cabinet. Hassan Joho was named for the Ministry of Mining and Blue Economy, Wycliffe Oparanya for Cooperatives and MSME Development, John Mbadi for the Ministry of National Treasury, and Opiyo Wandayi to head the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
