Ruto to Kenyans: Give my new Cabinet a chance

In a State House briefing after the swearing of 19 Cabinet Secretaries, President Ruto urged Kenyans to provide them support as they seek to deliver their mandate in their respective dockets. 

"I ask citizens of our great nation to give a chance to this great men and women, to this new cabinet and to support them to deliver on the mandate that has been given to them constitutionally and as they perform their duties in the best interest of our country," he said.

"I urge you, therefore, to go forth and from this day, focus on delivery, and dedicate your time and effort to the implementation of the various strategies, programmes, and projects that the nation’s transformation demands."

The 19 Cabinet Secretaries form part of the broad-based government approach, whereby the head of state nominated opposition members to join his cabinet. 

"During the past month, I have made an effort to keep my promise to engage in extensive consultations with leaders from diverse sectors, both public and private, with a view to constituting a broad-based government, powered by an inclusive bipartisanship that will accelerate and turbocharge the radical transformation of our economy and country," he noted. 

According to the president, with the broad-based government, the country is united more than ever as the leaders join to transform the country. 

"More than ever, it is clear that we are fully united by a shared devotion to secure a prosperous Kenya that serves us all. For this reason, I am persuaded that this moment in the life of our nation calls on us to build a strong ‘team of rivals’ to give our transformation agenda the best chance of success and to enhance inclusivity in national development."

Further, he referenced to the critical moments in history when the country embraced dialogue and it yielded positive results, a move seen as an invitation for the Gen Zs to leave the streets and engage in dialogue. 

"It is this noble spirit - this willingness to negotiate, to listen, to find common ground in the middle of conflict, that drew our freedom fighters from the forests to the negotiating table at Lancaster House in London," he said. 

"It is also this wonderful gift that brought together the agitators of the Second Liberation from the streets to the InterParties Parliamentary Group dialogue, and thereafter to the Bomas of Kenya where our constitutional history was properly written."

His remarks come amid critics accusing the opposition members of capitalising on the Gen Z-led protests to take up government positions. This came at a time when the Gen Zs called for better governance and accountability from leaders. 

On July 11, President Ruto fired his entire cabinet, promising to consult widely and reconstitute another cabinet that would include leaders from all political divides. 

Weeks later, he named his first and second batch of cabinet nominees, including a blend of familiar and new faces to his cabinet. Nine CSs made a comeback despite Kenyans calling for fresh faces to be included in the cabinet.

All eyes are now on the nane nane march on August 8, 2024, whereby Kenyans promised to march to State House as they seek to push for the president's exit.