Handshake Gov't as Ruto nominates Raila men Joho, Mbadi, Wandayi, Oparanya to Cabinet
![Handshake Gov't as Ruto nominates Raila men Joho, Mbadi, Wandayi, Oparanya to Cabinet Handshake Gov't as Ruto nominates Raila men Joho, Mbadi, Wandayi, Oparanya to Cabinet](https://citizentv.obs.af-south-1.myhuaweicloud.com/129877/conversions/Untitled-design-%2811%29-og_image.webp)
New opposition-allied Cabinet nominees Hassan Joho and John Mbadi [TOP], Opiyo Wandayi and Wycliffe Oparanya [BOTTOM]. PHOTOS | COURTESY
The opposition now appears to be in limbo
after four members were on Wednesday nominated to President William Ruto's Cabinet
as part of his broad-based government approach.
In the second batch of CS nominees, Nominated
MP John Mbadi is set to take over the Treasury ministry, Ugunja MP James Opiyo
Wandayi will assume the Energy docket, former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho
will head the Mining and Blue Economy ministry, while former Kakamega Governor
Wycliffe Oparanya will take charge of the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs Development.
President Ruto's announcement throws the
opposition in disarray despite past fervent statements that they are not
desperate to join the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Barely 24 hours earlier, Orange Democratic
Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna warned its members against making
themselves available for Cabinet appointments.
"Any ODM member who makes themselves
available to join the Kenya Kwanza Cabinet or any other position should know
that they do so without the blessing or support of the party," Sifuna
said.
In his statement, Sifuna reiterated that the
party was not in any negotiations with the government for
any coalition or political arrangement, bringing more confusion in the
opposition's plan to work with the government.
Last week, several opposition Azimio la Umoja
One Kenya coalition principals said they had no plans of joining the government, terming
it as a means of betrayal to the Kenyan people.
Led by Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, the other
parties comprised Jubilee, Democratic Action Party (DAP) Kenya, NARC Kenya, and
the Party of National Unity.
On the other hand, ODM party had given an
indication of its willingness to work with the current administration during
the latest Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting whereby they endorsed the calls for
dialogue to get the country out of the current crisis.
Further, ODM National Chairman Mbadi had
accused their coalition members of being dishonest, instead of finding means to
save the country's future.
"We cannot follow Kalonzo because we do
not know where he is going. I am not persuaded that Kalonzo is taking us
anywhere," Mbadi said over the weekend.
"This country must talk. Our partners in
Azimio are dishonest. We have children and we have a country to save for
them."
Joho had also reiterated that the Raila
Odinga-led ODM would choose the option that is ideal for the party.
"We must identify what works for us as
ODM. We are the bigger party in Azimio and we cannot be bullied," he
noted.
Raila, who initiated the dialogue conversation with the
government, also noted that the consequences for President Ruto's
resignation would be dire.
"It's at times of crisis like this that
a country needs to talk. We are not doing it to save Ruto. We are doing it to
save Kenya. Generals don't have teargas. They don't have water cannons. They
have bullets," Raila said during the recent ODM PG meeting.
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