President William Ruto has fired all cabinet secretaries and Kenya’s Attorney General Justin Muturi following weeks of anti-government protest. In a State of the Nation address, the president directed principal secretaries to supervise the ministries.
Only Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also doubles as the foreign affairs minister have been spared from the sacking.
“In line with the powers given to me by Article 152(1) and 152(5)(b) of the Constitution and Section 12 of the Office of the Attorney-General Act, I have decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General from the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs,” said President Ruto in a televised announcement.
The President said he would engage in consultations to reconstitute the cabinet.
In 2005, following his defeat in a referendum on a new constitution, the late President Mwai Kibaki disbanded the whole cabinet. This was the last time this had happened.
Even though Dr Ruto promised to back down from his contentious tax increases, he has been under pressure from Kenyans who have persisted in staging anti-government demonstrations and calling for greater responsibility from the government.
Some protestors are still calling for the President to go despite announcing several austerity measures across various government agencies.
President Ruto said that he made the move after listening to the people of Kenya and that he would form a broad-based government after consultations.
