By Enyichukwu Enemanna
President of Kenya, William Ruto on Wednesday night reshuffled eight members of his cabinet, keeping the Foreign Affairs Ministry in the office of Prime Cabinet Secretary (CS) headed by Musalia Mudavadi.
Under the current arrangement, Mudavadi will now double as Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) after Alfred Mutua was moved to Tourism and Wildlife.
This came few months after the President publicly lambasted his Cabinet Secretaries and accused some of them of being clueless in matters concerning their portfolios.
“The president, in exercise of the presidential prerogative vested in the Head of State and Government, has reorganised the executive. As a result, changes have been made to the portfolio mandates of ministries and state departments,” Kenya state house said in a release Wednesday night.
Lambasting them over perceived cluelessness of affairs of their ministries, Ruto told cabinet members, “You know there’s a problem when I know what’s going on in the tour schedules better than you do”.
The comment was seen by analysts as setting the stage for the reshuffle.
The Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management has replaced the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action, and will be headed by former Trade CS Moses Kuria.
Rebecca Miano has been named as the new CS for Trade and Investments.
Peninah Malonza, who formerly occupied Alfred Mutua’s position at the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife, was transferred to the Ministry of the East African Community (EAC).
Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban Development was reassigned to CS Alice Wahome.
A new Ministerial office was established and assigned to Jumwa Aisha as the Minister of Gender, Culture, the Arts & Heritage.
CS Zacharia Mwangi Njeru has been transferred to the Ministry of Water, Sanitation & Irrigation.
