Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday dismissed almost all of his Cabinet ministers, promising to form a new government that will be leaner and more efficient. The decision comes after weeks of protests sparked by high taxes and poor governance.
In a televised address, Ruto also dismissed the attorney general and announced that ministries will be run by their permanent secretaries.
Ruto stated that he made this decision after listening to the people and that he will form a broad-based government following consultations.
Kenya has experienced three weeks of unrest, culminating in protesters storming parliament on June 25th after the passage of a bill proposing tax increases. Over 30 people died during these protests, which have evolved into calls for the president’s resignation.
Ruto confirmed that the prime Cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, a key political ally, will remain in office.
He explained that the dismissals were based on “a holistic appraisal of the performance” of the Cabinet and that the new government will help him “in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent and irreversible implementation of radical programs to deal with the burden of debt, raising domestic resources, expanding job opportunities, eliminating wastage and unnecessary duplication of a multiplicity of government agencies and slay the dragon of corruption.”
Ruto appointed 21 Cabinet ministers after his election in 2022. Critics accused the president of favoring political cronies over technocrats in his ministerial choices.
Three ministers resigned from their elected positions to accept ministerial appointments. Others, who lost the election, were seen as receiving political appointments as a reward from the president.
Several ministries, including agriculture and health, have been embroiled in corruption scandals involving fake fertilizer and misappropriation of funds.
Kenyans have accused the Cabinet of incompetence, arrogance, and displays of opulence while citizens struggle with high taxes and a cost-of-living crisis.
Demonstrators called for the president’s resignation despite his statement that he would not sign the finance bill that proposed higher taxes.
On Friday, Ruto apologized for the “arrogance and show of opulence” exhibited by legislators and ministers, taking responsibility and vowing to address the issue with them.
He also announced austerity measures, including the dissolution of 47 state corporations with overlapping functions to save money, and the withdrawal of funding for the first lady’s office, among other cost-cutting measures.
Analyst and commentator Herman Manyora described the dismissal of the Cabinet as a “bold move” necessary to quell the discontent in the country.
This marks the first time a sitting president has dismissed Cabinet ministers under the new constitution. The last instance of a similar action occurred in 2005 after a failed referendum, when then-President Mwai Kibaki dismissed his ministers to assert his political authority.