Six out of the 11 Cabinet Secretaries who survived the axe following the dismissal of the Cabinet by President William Ruto will be vetted afresh, Speaker Moses Wetangula has said.
They include Kindiki Kithure (Interior), Aden Duale (Defence), Alice Wahome (Lands), Soipan Tuya (Environment), Davis Chirchir (Transport), and Rebecca Miano (Attorney General), who were nominated back to Cabinet as President Ruto reconstitutes his government.
"In law, these are fresh appointments. When the President dismissed the Cabinet, they ceased to be one. This should be viewed as fresh appointments, and those who remained in their docket should start where they started before resuming office," the Speaker said, after varied legal opinions by some lawyers who said those nominated back don't need to undergo fresh vetting.
President Ruto dismissed his entire Cabinet last week following pressure from Gen Z youths who have sustained protests demanding a lean government and an end to corruption for a better country. The president is yet to nominate more members of his Cabinet in what he described as a "broad-based government."
On Monday, the National Assembly Speaker said that the memorandum on the appointment of the 11 Cabinet Secretaries has not been forwarded to the House.
On claims that the Cabinet secretaries are dismissed as unfit to hold office, he said, "The people who can't serve are on account of violation of Chapter Six of the constitution on Integrity. These Cabinet Secretaries were simply dismissed."
"There are no allegations against them. They just went with everybody. The history of this country will tell you many people have been removed and went back," he added.
Constitutional lawyers and politicians are divided on whether the Six Cabinet Secretaries who were re-nominated should be vetted afresh.
Homabay Town MP Peter Kaluma had opined that the six cabinet Secretaries who were reappointed will resume their respective offices automatically, while Ahmednassir Abdullahi said they are unfit to hold office having been dismissed.
"Former Cabinet Secretaries will not be vetted afresh. They resume office with immediate effect. Only new CSs will be vetted afresh according to the law," Kaluma said.
The re-organization of the Cabinet followed President Ruto's July 11, 2024, decision to dissolve the previous Cabinet in response to anti-government protests and Gen Z demands for accountability and improved governance.
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Former Cabinet Secretaries Kipchumba Murkomen, who managed the Roads docket, and Moses Kuria, who oversaw Performance and Service Delivery, were among the outspoken members dismissed by President Ruto. The two former political leaders played key roles in campaigning for President Ruto, and their Cabinet appointments were seen as a reward for their support.
The protests, which have claimed the lives of more than 50 people, mainly shot dead by police, have been ongoing for several weeks. The demonstrations were sparked by dissatisfaction with the Finance Bill and have since evolved into a broader movement demanding systemic change and government accountability.
The heavy-handed response by security forces has drawn widespread condemnation both locally and internationally, leading to the dismissal of top police chiefs.
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