On July 11, President William Ruto addressed the nation highlighting some of the wins his administration has achieved thus far but, in a twist, dismissed his entire Cabinet save for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
“We have achieved significant progress in increasing food production by reducing the cost of farm inputs, thereby lowering the cost of food and living,” Ruto said at the very beginning of his speech. “We have implemented radical changes in the education sector, including resolving uncertainty around the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC),” he added.
Ruto went on and highlighted other gains under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda on whose strength the Kenya Kwanza administration was elected in the 2022 General Election.
He then dropped the bombshell. “Even with the progress we have made, I am acutely aware that the people of Kenya have high expectations of me and believe that this administration can undertake the most extensive transformation in our nation’s history,” the President said.
“I have, 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, 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,” he said.
In a gazette notice released Wednesday, the President highlighted reasons that informed his decision to send home his entire Cabinet.
In a gazette notice dated July 12, Ruto said among the reasons was his exercising the presidential prerogative as the Head of State and Government to continuously review the capacity of members of his Cabinet, State Departments and State Agencies to ensure they deliver on the national aspirations.
The President further said he was exercising the authority bestowed upon him by Article 131, as read together with Article 132 of the Constitution, in which he is duty-bound to promote good governance in the management of public affairs.
The decision, he said, was further prompted by the critical need to better equip and orientate the government in its implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. In the gazette notice, Ruto repeated what he said while announcing the dismissal of the CSs where he said he had reflected and listened keenly to what Kenyans had said in light of the mass protests.
He said he was cognizant of “the overwhelming feedback of the people of Kenya on the responsiveness of Government in the performance of its functions”. In reorganising his government, Ruto further said that he had considered the need to review his Cabinet to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in public service delivery.
“Now therefore, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of the Republic of Kenya, do hereby order and direct that in accordance with Article 152 (5) (b) of the Constitution, the Cabinet Secretaries listed below have been dismissed from office as stated,” he said.
In the same gazette notice, Ruto designated Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi as the overall acting CS in all the vacant ministerial posts.
