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Ruto dismissed all but one minister and said he would form a broad-based government that would help him address issues that led to monthlong protests
Kenyan President William Ruto appointed the first 11 members of his Cabinet. While doing so, he retained six former ministers in the key defense and interior portfolios. Earlier, Ruto dismissed all but one minister and said he would form a broad-based government that would help him address issues that led to monthlong protests.
The flashpoint for protests was when legislators voted against a finance bill proposing new taxes and later called for the president’s resignation over bad governance.
On Friday, the president retained the former ministers in interior and defense. He has yet to appoint a finance minister, under whose area of responsibility the contentious budget falls. The country’s public debt has been increasing. Ruto defended the proposed taxes as a way to repay debt and increase internal revenue collection.
Demonstrators have been calling for a fresh start accusing the former ministers of incompetence, corruption, and displays of opulence amid the high cost of living. The government, particularly the Interior Ministry, has been often criticized for the shooting and killings of protesters on June 25 as they stormed parliament.
However, the opposition who earlier seemingly supported the government for forming a broad-based ministry has distanced itself from its earlier stand. The opposition coalition members distanced themselves from the proposal to form a broad-based government. They called it a betrayal of the Kenyan people, particularly Gen Zs and millennials, who have been leading the protests calling for change.
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Opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka called the Cabinet change cosmetic. He said nothing would change as long as the Ruto administration is in office. He said that any opposition party joining the broad-based government would be doing so as an individual party and not as the opposition coalition. Main opposition leader Raila Odinga wasn’t present during the opposition coalition media briefing.
Kenya’s monthlong protests started on June 18 led by young people who stated they were leaderless and tribeless in their calls for change, accountability, and good governance. At least 50 people have died since the protests started and more than 400 others have been injured, according to data from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. Earlier, a court suspended a ban by police on protests in the capital, Nairobi.
