Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday, July 11, 2024, the dismissal of nearly all his Cabinet ministers, pledging to establish a new, lean, and efficient government following weeks of protests over high taxes and poor governance.
In a televised address, President Ruto also dismissed the attorney general, stating that ministries will be managed by their permanent secretaries. He explained that this decision was made after listening to the people and that a broad-based government would be formed after consultations.
Kenya has experienced three weeks of unrest, with protesters storming parliament on June 25 after the passage of a finance bill proposing tax increases. The protests have resulted in more than 30 deaths and have evolved into calls for the president’s resignation.
Ruto announced that Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, a key political ally, would remain in office. He stated that the dismissals were the result of “a holistic appraisal of the performance” of the Cabinet and that the new government would help him “in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent and irreversible implementation of radical programs to deal with the burden of debt, raising domestic resources, expanding job opportunities, eliminating wastage and unnecessary duplication of a multiplicity of government agencies, and slaying the dragon of corruption.”
Following his election in 2022, Ruto appointed 21 Cabinet ministers. Critics accused him of appointing political cronies rather than technocrats to lead the ministries. Some ministers resigned from their elected positions to accept ministerial roles, while others who lost the election were seen as being rewarded with political appointments.
State House, Nairobi. https://t.co/GmM8dgOxvS
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 11, 2024
Several ministries, including agriculture and health, have been embroiled in corruption scandals involving fake fertilizer and misappropriation of funds. Protesters accused the Cabinet of incompetence, arrogance, and displays of opulence as Kenyans grapple with high taxes and a cost of living crisis.
Despite initially stating that he would not sign the finance bill proposing higher taxes, Ruto faced continued calls for his resignation. On Friday, he apologized for the “arrogance and show of opulence” by legislators and ministers, taking responsibility and promising to address the issue.
He also announced austerity measures, including the dissolution of 47 state corporations with overlapping functions to save money and the withdrawal of funding for the First Lady’s office, among other measures.
Political analyst Herman Manyora described the dismissal of the Cabinet as a “bold move” necessary to quell the discontent in the country. This marks the first time a sitting president has dismissed Cabinet ministers under the new constitution. The last similar move occurred in 2005 when then-President Mwai Kibaki dismissed his ministers following a failed referendum to assert his political authority.
