Kenya Kwanza orphans?: The 12 fired CSs left in the cold as Ruto's Cabinet takes shape

The 12 had been hopeful of making a return to the Cabinet but are now assured that their time in the Cabinet is up. 

After what was certainly a nerve-wracking two weeks, 12 members of Cabinet now know where they stand, and it is out of Cabinet.

When President Ruto announced the second half of his cabinet nominees, it became clear that the time was up for the twelve, as their places were taken by either their former colleagues or members of the opposition now co-opted into government.

“I used to call them the Uber and iPhone but I now accept,” wrote former PSC Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria.

The Cabinet reconstitution was one of the demands that the Gen Z protesters had of the president.

One of the most vocal and visible CSs, the outgoing Public Service docket Moses Kuria became a victim of the Gen Z protests.

Former Co-operatives CS Simon Chelugui's lucky streak in Cabinet that saw him serve for two consecutive terms under the Uhuru Kenyatta government and transition to Ruto's administration has now ended with Wycliffe Oparanya set to replace him.

The game is over too for Ababu Namwamba whose return to the sports docket came nearly 10 years from when he served albeit shortly in the late former President Mwai Kibaki's government, his spot taken by the former CS for Transport Kipchumba Murkomen.

First-timer in Cabinet Aisha Jumwa who had a rather quiet run in the Ministry of Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage has also been shown the door with the nomination of her possible successor Stella Langat.

The man who's been in charge of driving the ICT agenda in the Kenya Kwanza government will not be making a comeback to cabinet after the slot was filled last week by the new nominee Margaret Nyambura.

Mithika Linturi may have survived the impeachment attempt in Parliament, but there wasn't much that he could have done to escape the axe when Ruto reconstituted his cabinet.

The former Meru Senator joins immediate former National Treasury CS Prof Njunguna Ndung'u who' oversaw the presentation of Kenya Kwanza's two first budgets out in the political cold. 

The proposals contained in the budget to raise revenues for this financial year triggered the protests that eventually cost him and some of his cabinet colleagues their slots in government.

Susan Nakhumicha's troubled run at the helm of the health docket has also been brought to an end with her omission from the lineup presented by the president on Wednesday.

Peninah Malonza formerly of Tourism, and Zachariah Njeru who served in two dockets have been removed from Cabinet as quietly as their tenure in their respective dockets was.

With just two more posts to fill in the cabinet, that of the CS of East African Community and ASALs and the Attorney General, these CSs know only too well that their chances of making a comeback are well and truly narrow to non-existent.