After Deadly Protests, Kenya’s President Ruto Dismisses Almost Entire Cabinet

Kenya President, William Ruto, announced on Thursday the dismissal of nearly his entire cabinet and initiated consultations to form a “broad-based government” amid the fallout from recent deadly protests.

The decision comes in the wake of last month’s peaceful rallies against significant tax hikes, which escalated into violence when police fired on crowds that stormed parliament, partially setting it ablaze.

The protests, organized online and driven by young Kenyans, marked the most severe crisis of Ruto’s presidency, prompting him to abandon the contentious finance bill.

Ruto’s move to dismiss the cabinet members, excluding prime cabinet secretary and foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, aims to ease tensions.

The president said he decided on the dismissals “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my cabinet and its achievements and challenges”.

Prominent Gen-Z protester Hanifa Adan welcomed the announcement, writing on X: “THE PRESIDENT OF KENYA HAS DISSOLVED THE CABINET!!! THE POWER LIES WITH THE PEOPLE ALWAYS!!!!!”

The protests, initially focused on tax hikes, have broadened into a general campaign against Ruto’s administration, with some demonstrations turning violent and resulting in 39 deaths, according to rights groups.

Although large-scale protests have waned, discontent remains, as evidenced by a memorial concert in Nairobi where attendees demanded Ruto’s resignation.

Analysts suggest that the dismissal of key allies, including former interior minister Kithure Kindiki, offers Ruto a chance for a fresh start but also presents challenges in forming a new, inclusive cabinet.

“The challenge that Ruto now faces is forming a new cabinet that includes various vested interests, whilst simultaneously calming popular anger in the face of an explicitly leaderless movement,” Gabrielle Lynch, professor of comparative politics at the University of Warwick, told AFP.

Last week, Ruto announced significant cuts to government spending, addressing public anger over his frequent travels and extravagant government expenditures amid a cost-of-living crisis.

He acknowledged that borrowing would need to increase to cover services, despite Kenya’s heavy foreign debt.

The fiscal challenges led Moody’s to downgrade Kenya’s debt rating further into junk status, citing Ruto’s reduced capacity to raise taxes and cut debt. The downgrade will likely make borrowing more costly for the already financially strained government.

Ruto, who campaigned on improving the common man’s fortunes, has pledged to engage in extensive consultations to form a government capable of addressing the country’s economic challenges, including massive debt, job creation, reducing waste, and combating corruption.

Despite efforts to engage protesters, calls for his resignation persist, with ongoing demonstrations across Kenyan cities.