Kenyan President William Ruto is reinstating members of his executive whom he dismissed two months ago for underperformance, expanding his economic council in a move that contradicts his earlier promise to reduce the number of advisors.

In a recent reshuffle, Ruto appointed former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo as Deputy Chief of Staff, a move widely seen as politically motivated ahead of his 2027 re-election bid.

Mr Owalo hails from Nyanza, the stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose close associates were recently inducted into the government.

The State House said Mr Owalo's new position carries the rank of a minister, granting him similar benefits to those he had before his dismissal. Kenya's head of State reinstated at least half of the cabinet that he had dismissed following a deadly protest that called for reforms in government.

Dr Ruto also appointed Moses Kuria, the former Public Service Minister, as a chief economic advisor.

Mr Kuria, who previously served in the Trade Ministry, will now advise the president on economic matters.

His tenure at the Trade Ministry was marked by controversy, including being sidelined by a senior US trade official during key negotiations, where Adan Mohamed, whom Mr Kuria now joins on the economic council, represented Kenya instead.

Mr Mohamed, a former minister in the previous administration, assumed many responsibilities within the Trade Ministry and led key discussions, such as the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) with the US in July 2023.

Mr Mohamed is not new to trade matters as he served as the Cabinet Secretary in the ministry during Jubilee's first term in office before he was moved to the East African Community, the docket he held until he resigned in 2022 to contest for governor seat in Northern Kenya.