Six months after taking office, President William Ruto on Thursday made 50 nominations for the position of chief administrative secretaries, completing the creation of his Executive. Uhuru Kenyatta, the former president, had 29 CASs, with two each for the departments of health, transportation, education, and agriculture.
The majority of those benefited by President Ruto’s appointments are supporters and losers of the Kenya Kwanza poll, as well as politicians who abandoned the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition after Dr. Ruto was proclaimed the victor of the August 2022 presidential election. Raila Odinga, the head of the Azimio alliance, disapproved of the election results.
Among the political bigwigs in the list are former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, who joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on Tuesday, just a night after meeting President Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
Dr Kidero, who lost to Gladys Wanga in the Homa Bay gubernatorial race last year, has been nominated CAS for the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry alongside former West Mugirango MP Vincent Kemosi Mogaka and former West Pokot Woman Representative Lilian Tomitom.
Dr Kidero was nominated for the Investments docket, Mr Kemosi for Trade and Ms Tomitom for Industry.
President Ruto’s digital strategist Dennis Itumbi was nominated for the ICT ministry while immediate Amani National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Simon Mwangi Kamau was nominated for the Digital Economy docket. Mr Kamau played a critical role in the formation of the Kenya Kwanza coalition. Mr Itumbi and Mr Kamau seem to be the youngest in President Ruto’s list of CAS nominees.
Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, who lost to ODM’s Edwin Sifuna in the Nairobi senatorial race, has been nominated CAS for Cooperatives while UDA candidate for he Kinangop parliamentary seat, Amos Chege Mugo, has been nomated for the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises Development docket.
Former Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, who last year decided not to defend his seat for the sake of concentrating on campaigning for President Ruto, was nominated for the Roads docket while former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, who was floored by James Orengo in the Siaya governor race, was picked for Transport.
Former Narok governor Samuel Tunai, who lost to ODM’s Ledama ole Kina in the senatorial contest, has been picked for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration alongside former nominated Senator Millicent Omanga and former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohamud Ali Saleh.
Former Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi, who vied for Vihiga governor seat and lost to ODM’s Wilberforce Otichilo, was nominated as Defense CAS, while former Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka and his Babati counterpart Kimani Ngunjiri were selected for the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development.
Former Lungalunga MP Khatib Mwashetani and James Kimanthi Mbaluka, who vied for Kibwezi West MP on a UDA ticket, but lost to Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) Mwengi Mutuse, were nominated as CASs in the Ministry of Health.
Wilson Sossion, the former secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) was nominated CAS in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, alongside Rehema Dida Jaldesa.
