Winners and Losers in Ruto’s Cabinet Reshuffle

Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has been impacted by President William Ruto’s Cabinet reshuffle, resulting in him losing the Department of Arts. This department has now been incorporated into the newly created Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage. Namwamba had previously faced criticism from certain leaders in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, who had called for his dismissal.

President Ruto reorganized his administration through Executive Order No. 2 of 2023, which involved renaming several ministries and establishing new ministerial portfolios. The restructuring aimed to optimize performance and enhance service delivery in alignment with the administration’s manifesto under the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda. The circular from Chief of Staff Felix Koseki affirmed this purpose.

Namwamba’s Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts, and Sports has also undergone a name change based on the executive order. It is now known as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Simultaneously, the Department of Arts has been moved to the newly created ministerial portfolio of Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage.

In further changes, Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua has been transferred to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Trade Minister Moses Kiarie Kuria has been relocated to the Ministry of Public Service. Additionally, the Foreign Ministry has been placed under the responsibility of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

It is noteworthy that Mutua lost his ministry despite his involvement in Kenya’s offer to contribute 1,000 policemen to Haiti for a multinational security mission authorized by the United Nations. This mission aimed to combat violent gangs that have largely taken over the capital of Haiti.

By merging the Foreign Affairs docket with the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office under the leadership of Musalia Mudavadi, Mudavadi will now serve as both the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary.

Kuria, who has recently encountered conflicts with various parties, including within the Kenya Kwanza Administration, has moved from the Trade and Investments ministry to the renamed Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management docket. In this shift, Kuria replaces Aisha Jumwa.

Aisha Jumwa, on the other hand, remains a beneficiary of the reshuffle as she is assigned to the newly established Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage. This ministry draws elements from both the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Tourism.

Rebecca Miano, formerly in charge of the East African Community, ASALs (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands), and Regional Development ministry, emerges as a key figure in the late-night reshuffle. She now serves as a powerful Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, a critical role that was previously held by Moses Kuria.

It is important to note that no members of the executive have been removed in these changes; they have only been reassigned to different roles. The restructuring primarily involved shifting functions and reconstituting certain ministries.

A few months ago, President Ruto publicly criticized his Cabinet members, accusing some of them of lacking knowledge in their respective portfolios.

Ruto gained popularity by promising to advocate for the interests of impoverished “hustlers.” However, some critics argue that his introduction of tax increases on petrol and housing will further burden Kenyans who already struggle to afford basic commodities like maize flour.