Kenyan President Ruto names new Cabinet, re-appoints six ministers

Nairobi. Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday re-appointed several members of the cabinet he had sacked last week, forming a new government aimed at addressing the grievances of young protesters.

In a televised address, Ruto announced 11 appointments to what he described as a broad-based unity government, promising additional nominations soon.

This move followed a mass firing the previous week, which was a concession to demands from youth-led protests that had already compelled him to withdraw $2.7 billion in proposed tax hikes.

Ruto re-appointed Kithure Kindiki as Interior Minister, Aden Duale as Defence Minister, and Soipan Tuya as Environment Minister. He also reassigned the portfolios of two other ministers.

The protests, which have resulted in over 50 deaths since mid-June, left Ruto under pressure from both lenders to reduce high debts and a public struggling with high living costs.

Ruto retained six of his 22 Cabinet Secretaries and named five new nominees in the first batch of 11 ministers. Here is the list of nominees:

• Prof. Kithure Kindiki - Interior and National Administration
• Dr. Debra Mulonga Barasa - Health
• Alice Wahome - Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development
• Julius Migosi Ogamba - Education
• Aden Barre Duale - Defence
• Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja - Agriculture and Livestock Development
• Roselinda Soipan Tuiya - Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry
• Eric Muriithi Muuga - Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation
• Davis Chirchir - Roads and Transport
• Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u - Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy
• Rebecca Miano - Attorney-General