President Uhuru Kenyatta last Tuesday surprised his friends, handlers and allies alike when he unveiled nine nominees to the Cabinet and sacked 13 others. The President dropped all the women in his earlier Cabinet, naming only men in his first nine appointments.
However, the post of Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and Co-ordination of the National Government was given to Dr. Fred Matiang’i, who was also appointed the acting Education CS.
A former Jubilee candidate for Turkana gubernatorial race, Mr. John Munyes, was also nominated. He and the other nominees will be waiting for vetting by Parliament before they can be formally appointed.
Mr. Kenyatta left little doubt that it was all about securing his legacy. Earlier in the day, he had set the tone for his plan of action at the launch of book distribution to primary and secondary schools when he said that he would pick a lean team comprising individuals who do not condone graft.
“Some of the changes I am proposing during my final term is to come down hard on individuals who are abusing our systems for personal gain,” President Kenyatta said at a meeting in Karen. “They must change or step aside because the time to laugh over these issues is over. There are many Kenyans willing to serve in public positions.”
The shocking announcement also came with a seal of approval for Interior Minister, Fred Matiang’i, the man who has become the darling of the President and is often referred to as a Super Minister by his colleagues.
He is also the acting Education CS under the new dispensation, having switched the two roles. The others that the President retained were Mr. Henry Rotich (National Treasury), Mr. Najib Balala (Tourism), Mr. James Macharia (Transport), Mr. Charles Keter (Energy) and Mr. Joe Mucheru (ICT).
It would appear that Attorney-General Githu Muigai was retained though the President did not make any mention of him.
Other changes announced in the security sector included the promotion of Mr. Edward Mbugua as acting Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Noor Gabow, as acting Inspector-General in charge of the Administration, and Mr. George Maingi, who replaces Mr Muhoro.
With superior numbers in both the National Assembly and the Senate, the President expects little resistance in approving his list of nominees. At State House, Mr. Joseph Kinyua was retained as the Head of the Public Service to be assisted by Mr. Wanyama Musiambo.
“I will be making further announcements to fill Cabinet positions, to fill the positions of Principal Secretaries as well as our Sagas (parastatals) as we continue to populate the Government with those that will be charged with the responsibility of executing our agenda for the next five years,” Mr. Kenyatta said.
