Principal Secretaries to run gov't following dissolution of Cabinet - President Ruto

Principal Secretaries (PS') will oversee daily government operations following the Thursday dissolution of Cabinet by President William Ruto.

In a Nation address at State House, Nairobi, Ruto underscored that his administration will maintain normal functioning despite the ousting of all Cabinet members except Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi.

"During this process, the operations of government will continue uninterrupted under the guidance of PS and other relevant officials. I will be announcing additional measures and steps in due course," President Ruto said.

Ruto added that he plans to promptly initiate thorough discussions with Kenyans and key stakeholders as he considers his next move to assemble a new Cabinet. However, he did not specify when he would announce the composition of the new Cabinet.

"I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations and other Kenyans both in public and private with the aim of setting up a broad base government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary and irreversible implementation of the program that we have," Ruto said.

"This includes other radical measures and programmes, to deal  with the burden of debt, to explore raising domestic resources and revenues, expanding job opportunities, eliminating wastage and unnecessary duplication, over multiplicity of government agencies and slaying the dragon of corruption and consequently making the government of Kenya, lean, inexpensive, effective and efficient." 

Ruto's announcement mirrors that of the late former President Mwai Kibaki, who in November 2005 disbanded his entire Cabinet after a humiliating defeat in the government-supported 2005 referendum.

“Following the results of the Referendum, it has become necessary for me, as the President of the Republic, to reorganise my Government to make it more cohesive and better able to serve the people of Kenya,” Kibaki said then.

“I have directed that the Offices of all Ministers and all Assistant Ministers become vacant. Consequently, the occupants of the said offices cease to hold their respective offices with immediate effect."

Kibaki subsequently announced a new Cabinet lineup two weeks later.