Kenya’s President, Ruto Names Four Opposition Members In His Cabinet

President William Ruto of Kenya has appointed four prominent figures from the opposition to serve in his cabinet.

Naija News reports that this comes following over a month of demonstrations against his government.

Following a submission of a list of 10 ministers to the parliament on Tuesday, Ruto revealed the selection of 10 ministers for the reformed cabinet, which includes four individuals with close ties to the veteran opposition leader, Raila Odinga.

This announcement comes after the submission of a second list of ministers to the parliament.

Ruto, who has faced significant challenges, had previously dismissed a substantial portion of his cabinet on July 11.

However, he announced a new, partial cabinet on July 19, which included some of the ministers who had been previously dismissed.

“I commend the leadership of diverse organisations, both in public and private sectors, including political parties for the encouraging response to my outreach to consult on forming a broad-based government,” AFP quoted Ruto saying on Wednesday (today).

“Their willingness to set aside partisan positions and interests in order to join a visionary partnership for the radical transformation of Kenya is a historic gesture of their patriotism,” he added.

The selection of the opposition nominees has been announced, with John Mbadi appointed to the treasury, James Opiyo Wandayi nominated for the energy sector, Ali Joho for the mining ministry, and Wycliffe Oparanya designated as the head of the cooperatives ministry.

However, these nominations are subject to approval by the Parliament.

A notable aspect of the nominations is that five of the individuals named on Wednesday had previously served in the cabinet that was dismissed.

Naija News reports that since June, President Ruto has implemented a series of strategies aimed at mitigating the crisis.

These measures include the repeal of highly unpopular tax increases and commitments to reductions in what is perceived as excessive government expenditure.

However, despite these efforts, rallies, predominantly led by the younger generation, known as Gen-Z Kenyans, have persisted across the nation under the rallying cry #RutoMustGo.

These gatherings, though smaller in scale compared to the previous month, have continued to advocate for President Ruto’s ouster, alongside demands for action against corruption and allegations of police misconduct.