Bishop Isaiah Obuya of the Anglican Church of Kenya’s (ACK) Nambale Diocese has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to reject six Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) from President William Ruto’s recently dissolved cabinet.
President Ruto had recently disbanded his entire cabinet, except for Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi. On Friday, July 19, 2024, he began forming a new, inclusive cabinet by nominating 11 candidates.
Among the six returning nominees from the previous cabinet are Kithure Kindiki (Interior and National Administration), Aden Duale (Defence), Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Urban Development, and Housing), Soipan Tuya (Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry), and Davis Chirchir (Roads and Transport). Rebecca Miano, previously the CS for Investment, Trade, and Industrialization, is nominated for Attorney-General.
The new nominees are Dr. Debra Mulongo Barasa (Health), Julius Migosi Ogamba (Education), Andrew Mwihia Karanja (Agriculture and Livestock Development), Eric Muriithi Muuga (Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation), and Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u (Information, Communication, and Digital Economy).
Bishop Obuya has urged MPs involved in the vetting process to avoid clearing the six returning cabinet secretaries to avoid agitating the youth.
“Their names will be presented to Parliament for vetting. I ask the MPs who will be part of the vetting process not to reappoint those who were in the previous cabinet because it greatly angers Generation Z. We know that Gen Z is unhappy, and we are also unhappy.
“When they sit in Parliament for the vetting, I urge them not to reappoint those from the old cabinet because we want peace,” he told the press.
When lawmakers reconvene on Tuesday, their key priorities will include vetting President Ruto’s nominated cabinet secretaries and reviewing the 2024/2025 supplementary budget estimates. The proposed supplementary budget suggests cuts for various ministries, departments, and agencies.
The MPs are returning after a three-week recess, which followed a violent protest at Parliament by a group of young people opposing the controversial 2024 Finance Bill, which has since been withdrawn. The MPs’ return coincides with planned anti-government protests, with organizers aiming to shut down Nairobi.
