Ruto moves Duale to Environment Ministry, Soipan Tuya to Defence docket in surprise Cabinet change

In the surprise change communicated to Parliament on Tuesday afternoon by Speaker Moses Wetangula, Aden Duale has been re-assigned from the Defence Ministry to the Environment docket.

Soipan Tuya who had been nominated to the Environment Ministry, has been moved to the powerful Defence Ministry.

In response to the reassignment, which caught many by surprise, Duale took to his X account posting:

"I am Grateful to President @WilliamsRuto  for reassigning me from the Defence Ministry to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry. I look forward to serving in my new portfolio and ensuring focus is on sustainable environmental management, combating climate change, and promoting reforestation and conservation efforts," reads the post.

He added: "Indeed, 'And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows, but you do not know.' - Quran 2:216."

All other Cabinet nominations remain as announced by the President.

Meanwhile, the Speaker has confirmed that all Cabinet nominees will undergo vetting including those who were reappointed.

"The record that has arrived in this House is what I have read to you. Nobody will become Minister until and unless the President has written to Parliament, until Parliament has sat in Committee and vetted and until the Whole House has voted on the report of the vetting Committee," said Wetangula.