Kenyan President William Ruto dissolved his cabinet on Thursday, sending home all Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General.
This decision comes in the wake of protests against the Finance Bill 2024.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi were spared from the purge.
Ruto explained that recent events and the need to withdraw the Finance Bill, which required reorganizing Kenya’s budget and fiscal management, led to this major decision.
“Upon reflection, listening keenly to what people have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my cabinet and its achievements and challenges, I have today, in line with the powers given to me by the constitution, decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and, of course, the Office of the Deputy President,” Ruto said.
He emphasized the need for broad consultations to form a new government that would help implement urgent and necessary reforms. “I will immediately engage in extensive consultation across different sectors, political formations, and other Kenyans both in public and private 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 the programme that we have, including other radical measures to explore expanding job opportunities, raising resources, eliminating wastage, and duplication of roles by agencies and slaying corruption consequently making the government lean, inexpensive, and efficient,” he added.
During this transition, the government will continue to operate under the guidance of Principal Secretaries and other relevant officials. President Ruto promised to announce additional measures and new steps in due course.
