Kagwe tops Cabinet Secretaries’ performance ranking for third consecutive survey
Mutahi Kagwe
By DMS
Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe has been ranked Kenya’s best-performing Cabinet Secretary for the third consecutive time, cementing his position as the country’s top-rated minister in the latest Kenya Track Survey released yesterday.
The opinion poll, titled “Driving Development: The Cabinet Secretaries Leading the Way”, placed Kagwe ahead of his Cabinet colleagues, citing his leadership in agricultural reforms, food security, farmer empowerment and implementation of programmes under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The survey, conducted between June 13 and July 5, interviewed 6,547 adults across the country through telephonic interviews using random sampling proportionate to population size.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.
According to the survey, Kagwe has continued to earn public confidence through aggressive implementation of reforms that have revitalized Kenya’s agriculture sector, including the expansion of subsidized fertilizer and certified seed distribution, strengthening agricultural extension services and promoting climate-smart farming.
The survey also credits the Agriculture ministry with reforms across coffee, tea, dairy, sugar, horticulture and livestock value chains that have sought to improve market access, eliminate exploitative middlemen, strengthen cooperatives and increase farmers’ earnings through value addition.
Kagwe has in recent months spearheaded several flagship programmes, including the Coffee Revitalization Programme that targets raising Kenya’s annual coffee production from about 50,000 metric tonnes to 150,000 metric tonnes by 2028.
The ministry has also rolled out millions of certified coffee seedlings, expanded livestock vaccination campaigns and intensified disease surveillance while promoting irrigation and climate resilience.
His ministry has also led reforms aimed at boosting food production, reducing dependence on food imports and positioning agriculture as a key driver of economic growth.
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Geoffrey Ruku was ranked second.
The survey attributes Ruku’s strong performance to accelerated digitization of government services, reforms to improve efficiency and accountability within public institutions, capacity building for civil servants and coordination of programmes supporting vulnerable communities and disaster response.
Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Eric Mugaa secured third place following investments in dams, boreholes, water supply systems and irrigation projects aimed at expanding access to clean water and supporting agricultural production.
Former Kakamega Governor and Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Wycliffe Oparanya was ranked fourth.
Respondents cited his efforts to reform cooperative societies, improve governance, expand affordable financing for micro, small and medium enterprises, promote entrepreneurship among youth and women and digitize cooperative services.
Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya rounded off the top five.
The survey notes that Mvurya has revitalized Kenya’s sports sector through investments in stadiums and training facilities, improved athlete welfare, strengthened grassroots talent development and expanded opportunities within the creative economy by supporting musicians, filmmakers and digital content creators.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi was ranked sixth, with respondents recognizing his stewardship of the economy amid global fiscal pressures. His ministry was credited with reforms in tax administration, strengthening domestic revenue collection, promoting prudent public financial management and maintaining fiscal discipline.
Cabinet Secretary for Defence Soipan Tuya took seventh position for modernizing the Kenya Defence Forces, improving the welfare of military personnel and strengthening Kenya’s participation in regional and international peacekeeping missions.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano ranked eighth after leading campaigns to revive tourism, market Kenya internationally, encourage domestic tourism and promote wildlife conservation through anti-poaching and community-based conservation programmes.
Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen was placed ninth. The survey cites his ministry’s intensified operations against banditry, terrorism and organized crime, modernization of security systems and expansion of community policing initiatives.
Completing the top ten was Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho, whose ministry was recognized for reforms aimed at attracting investment into mining, promoting mineral value addition, expanding fisheries and aquaculture and strengthening Kenya’s maritime infrastructure.
The Kenya Track Survey says Cabinet Secretaries remain central to delivering the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda by translating policy into measurable development outcomes.
According to the report, the ranking assessed Cabinet Secretaries based on their contribution to national development, effectiveness in implementing government programmes, responsiveness to emerging challenges and overall impact on the country’s social and economic well-being.
The survey concludes that while substantial progress has been recorded across sectors, sustaining the gains will require continued innovation, accountability, prudent management of public resources and responsive leadership capable of addressing the evolving needs of Kenyans.
For Kagwe, the latest ranking marks a third consecutive appearance at the top of various polls, reinforcing his standing as one of the most visible and highly rated performers in President William Ruto’s Cabinet as the government continues implementing its economic transformation agenda.
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