Kenyan President William Ruto has made a strategic move by appointing four key opposition figures to his cabinet amidst ongoing demonstrations against his government.
Following over a month of protests, President Ruto submitted a list of 10 new ministers to parliament on Tuesday, revealing his reformed cabinet lineup. Notably, this cabinet includes four individuals closely associated with veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga.
This latest list comes after an earlier submission of ministers to parliament. Ruto, who has faced significant challenges recently, had dismissed a large portion of his cabinet on July 11. He then announced a new partial cabinet on July 19, reappointing some of the previously dismissed ministers.
“I commend the leadership of diverse organizations, both in public and private sectors, including political parties, for the encouraging response to my outreach to consult on forming a broad-based government,” Ruto said on Wednesday, as quoted by AFP. “Their willingness to set aside partisan positions and interests to join a visionary partnership for the radical transformation of Kenya is a historic gesture of their patriotism,” he added.
Among the new opposition nominees are John Mbadi for the treasury, James Opiyo Wandayi for the energy sector, Ali Joho for the mining ministry, and Wycliffe Oparanya for the cooperatives ministry. These nominations, however, require parliamentary approval.
Interestingly, five of the individuals named on Wednesday had previously served in the cabinet that was dismissed earlier.
Since June, President Ruto has implemented several measures to address the crisis, including repealing unpopular tax increases and pledging to cut what is seen as excessive government expenditure. Despite these efforts, protests have continued, led primarily by younger Kenyans under the hashtag #RutoMustGo. These rallies, while smaller than those of the previous month, still call for President Ruto’s resignation, action against corruption, and accountability for alleged police misconduct.
