Ruto’s Decision To Shake-Up His Cabinet Was Not Influenced By Politics
The Mt Kenya Times 
President William Ruto
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- He also reminded them that one of their key assignments is to listen to what the people at the grassroots were saying. Once your hear their issues and concerns, the next step is to address them appropriately and expeditiously. My point here is clear. Your job is not to only stay in office or travelling abroad now and then. I’m not holding brief for President Ruto but given this background, I want to say this.
- President Ruto’s decision had nothing to do with politics. This matter was already in public domain.
- So, the issue was not whether President Ruto would effect a mini-reshuffle, the question was when. This time, no cabinet secretary and principal secretary was fired.
The latest decision by President William Ruto to effect a mini resuffle of his cabinet has continued to draw mixed reactions.
I totally disagree with those reading politics. Here are my reasons.
First, President Ruto has remained focussed and consistent in terms of keeping a tab on the performance of each Cabinet Secretary (CS) and Principal Secretary (PS).
I vividly remember the statement he made after witnessing their swearing-in at State House Nairobi.
He told them that he expected each to discharge his or her mandate in a professional and precision manner.
Note this. Kenyans are your employer. You are doing this work for them and they are watching you.
Therefore, I will not entertain any excuses. You only have two options: To deliver or ship out.
Turning to those who supported his candidature during campaigns, he gave them a word of advice.
The period of politicking is over. This is the time of working for our people. So, don’t have the mentality that I will spare you if you fail to perform.
President Ruto kept reiterating the same message in various occasions.
When he invited them to sign the performance contracts, he told them.
I have come to learn that some of you were totally clueless about what your jobs entailed.
As the President, I knew a lot more than you on how to run your respective dockets.
Given this scenerio, there was no need of having you as a Cabinet Secretary.
This is because you were not adding any value to the course of public interest.
He also reminded them that one of their key assignments is to listen to what the people at the grassroots were saying. Once your hear their issues and concerns, the next step is to address them appropriately and expeditiously. My point here is clear. Your job is not to only stay in office or travelling abroad now and then.
I’m not holding brief for President Ruto but given this background, I want to say this.
President Ruto’s decision had nothing to do with politics. This matter was already in public domain.
So, the issue was not whether President Ruto would effect a mini-reshuffle, the question was when.
This time, no cabinet secretary and principal secretary was fired.
Instead, the president swapped some and transfered others to reconstituted and renamed ministries.
However, this is how some Kenyans interpreted the move.
There were losers and winners. For those demoted, they had foreseen this coming.
For the sake of starters, allow me to say this.
According to the provisions of Article 154 (2) (a) and Article 155 (3) (a) of the Constitution, the CSs and PSs are nominated by the President and, upon approval by the National Assembly, he appoints them.
This means the power they excercise is donated and delegated to them by the President.
As the head of the executive arm, the President needs a team which would help him to discharge his constitutional mandate.
So, the same provisions allow the President to effect the cabinet shake-up and reshuffles.
So, contrary to the impression created by his critics, Dr Ruto’s decision was within the law.
This is not the first time we are seeing this. The history of the successive governments of Kenya is replete with cabinet ressuffles and shakeup.
Some of the changes affected by the four Presidents who had ruled before Dr Ruto were major and earth-shaking.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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