Ruto Fires Entire Cabinet after Weeks of Protests

Kenyan President William Ruto has sacked all Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney General with immediate effect.

Only the Deputy President, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretaries will remain to supervise ministries.

“I have, in line with the powers given to me by Article 152(1) and 152(5)(b) of the Constitution and Section 12 of the Office of the Attorney-General Act, decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General from the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.”,” he said in a televised message.

He added: “And of course, the office of the Deputy President is not affected in any way.”

President Ruto has said the decision was taken after “reflection, listening to Kenyans, and after holistic appraisal of my cabinet.”

Ruto further stated the new cabinet will be named after extensive consultations.

“I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent and irreversible, implementation of radical programmes to deal with the burden of debt, raising domestic resources, expanding job opportunities, eliminate wastage and unnecessary duplication of a multiplicity of government agencies and slay the dragon of corruption consequently making the government lean, inexpensive, effective and efficient,” he said.

He assured Kenyans that the operations of government will continue uninterrupted under the guidance of Principal Secretaries and other relevant officials.

The development comes after weeks of protests by youth after the government raised taxes, supposedly to help raise funds to cut the country’s debt.

After the Gen Z protests, Ruto was forced to withdraw the Finance Bill 2024, and announce several measures to reduce the public wage bill.