UhuRuto change tradition as they name Cabinet

By FRANCIS NGIGE

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto seem to have a new way of doing things!

Appearing before an expectant nation as Ruto rightly acknowledged, the two surprised Kenyans by naming only four of the 18 expected secretaries.

And they did it in style!

Immaculately dressed in white shirts and red ties without coats, the two appeared for the press conference at the steps of State House to announce the four names “they had finished working on”.

Unlike their predecessors who would have sent a list of the nominees to newsrooms and to Parliament for vetting, the President and his deputy introduced the nominees by going through their resumes.

The nominees were also given a chance to speak to the nation in the event beamed live by television stations.

Before they emerged to address the press conference, the two had kept the country waiting for nearly two hours as a dispatch from the Presidential Press Service indicated that the briefing was set for 4pm.

When they finally appeared, the principals, who in their campaigns referred to themselves as the digital team, emerged with sheets of papers to announce the Cabinet, not Ipads or sophisticated gadgets, as many would have expected.

With a beaming smile Ruto spoke first, saying a time had come to diffuse the anxiety that had enveloped the country as people waited for the naming of Cabinet Secretaries.

Selecting

He then introduced the President whose first statement was a surprise: “We are going to name some names in the ongoing process of selecting Cabinet Secretaries who will move the country forward.”

Uhuru started unveiling the names with Dr Fred Okengo Matiang’i topping the list.

The President went ahead to give a brief bio of the candidates before inviting them to address the nation.

After unveiling the four names, it was Uhuru’s turn to take questions from journalists, most of whom might have been disappointed by the turn of events.

With acres of space dedicated for the unveiling of the new Cabinet, the Press must have felt let down by the President, who just gave four names.

But for most journalists, it was a fulfilling moment as they engaged the President and his deputy in a one-on-one question-and-answer session, which they rarely enjoyed with the previous regimes.

Just as it has been the norm, Uhuru identified some journalists by their names and was not short of lighteing up the session.

He retorted to one journalist as he introduced himself: “I know you.”

And responding to KTN’s Frank Otieno’s question on how long Kenyans should wait before the whole team is set up, Uhuru said: “Usichoke kungoja (Patience pays).

In a gesture that seems to be sending a message that the list was of a consultative nature, Uhuru invited Ruto to continue answering questions from journalists and “clarifying some issues”.

“William please come and continue with the session!” Uhuru told Ruto as he gestured to him to take the microphone.

After concluding their speeches, Uhuru and Ruto held hands and departed from the glare of cameras.

The parting shot from Uhuru was an invitation to journalists to have tea at the State House lawns.