To reshuffle or not to reshuffle? Ruto's cabinet conundrum

President William Ruto and DP Kithure Kindiki after a cabinet meeting at State House Nairobi. [ PCS]

President William Ruto is walking a tight rope as pressure mounts on him to steady his administration amid calls for a cabinet reshuffle to correct what is slowly sliding into a conundrum as several sectors limp under the weight of alleged incompetence, Ruto’s excessive outreach, and cronyism.

The Sunday Standard has established the president’s allies are exploring populist options to counter the dilemma facing his administration after several weeks of economic blunders exposed his administration's underbelly.

The economy is struggling but nearly all the key ministries that should have been at the forefront in building hope are teetering as some cabinet secretaries fumble while others are barely visible as some jolts into a campaign mode and a corresponding lip service to Kenyans.

Some of his administrative missteps including the controversial Finance Bill, 2026, the struggling education sector, the handling of the fuel crisis, the latest bloody crackdown on peaceful protestors that ballooned the statistics of the number of Kenyans who have died at the hands of police officers, woes over Social Health Authority, and the rising economic pressure on Kenyans, have shifted focus on the performance of his cabinet as economic pressure hit Kenyans.

Observers believe that how the president navigates the economic storm that the country is facing could be integral for the survival of his administration with sources within his administration and observers claiming that a reshuffle could be on the table to help Ruto save the face of his administration.

But it is a journey fraught with uncertainties and huge political risks as calls for the resignation of some of his ministers and an internal push for a cabinet reshuffle gather momentum.

Political analyst Barack Muluka argues Ruto needs a bold cabinet reshuffle to steady government, opining that the move could help stabilise the administration amid mounting economic and political pressure. 

“As things stand, the President is under pressure to demonstrate that his administration is listening to the frustrations of ordinary Kenyans,” Muluka said.

Muluka argued that President Ruto must now evaluate whether his current team still aligns with his administration’s goals and whether some Cabinet Secretaries have become political liabilities rather than assets.

In a week that more Kenyans lost their lives as a result of brutal crackdown on protestors against the high fuel prices amid other teething problems facing nearly all sectors, focus has shifted on how the president will handle the problem.

While some of his CSs have disappeared off the radar and are barely seen inspecting or unveiling projects across the country, others have shifted focus from the ministries to intense reelection campaigns for their boss even as their ministries limp.

In the Finance Docket for instance, CS John Mbadi who joined the cabinet through a political quicksand moment imprinted by the formation of the so-called broadbased government is on an overdrive in campaigns for Ruto. On the flipside, his ministry is inspiring little hope as the Finance Bill, 2026, threatens to push Kenyans back to the streets over punitive proposals and worrying tax regimes.

On Friday, some 28 lobby groups under the Okoa Kenya campaign described the Finance Bill, 2026 as an impending financial burden on Kenyans and are confident it has been designed to hurt low-income earners.

According to the groups, including Transparency International and the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, the Bill fronted by Mbadi discriminates against the poor and will infringe on the privacy rights of Kenyans.

They are among the outfits rallying Kenyans to reject the Bill, further complicating matters for the president, who is keen to avert any mass disapproval of his administration by Kenyans.

But it is not the Finance docket alone, education, health, agriculture, and blue economy ministries are all grappling with worrying concerns for Kenyans as service deliveries falter.

According to sources in UDA, momentum is building for the administration to forestall the growing criticisms against his administration and rebuild confidence for an administration struggling with confidence issues.

Observers believe the president is stuck between a rock and a hard place, with each option presenting considerable challenges, but believe a reshuffle could be in the offing. But there is no good option for Ruto.

For instance, the sacking or reassigning of Cooperative CS Oparanya to a less significant ministry could have implications on his support from Western. Similarly, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who many believe is a lackluster performer, could also come with a similar impact despite his waning influence in Western.

“What the president needs is the removal of underperforming officials and the appointment of competent, professionally qualified people through a competitive and transparent process. While reshuffles may carry political risks in regions such as Western where figures like Oparanya appear to be sending mixed signals, retaining leaders purely for political convenience could further erode public confidence in the government,” contends High Court advocate and political analyst Clifford Obiero.

Within ODM and in Mount Kenya, the situation is even more complicated amid shaky support from voting blocs that could play a significant role in his administration. 

In Mount Kenya, nearly all the CSs serving in his administration have disappeared from the radar, save for Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku who is synonymous with photo ops in government officers while inspecting attendance of public staff. Others like ICT's William Kabogo and Agriculture's Mutahi Kagwe are a no-show.

Joshua Nyamori, a UDA operative and an advocate of the High Court, admitted that the UDA administration is confronting difficult economic conditions, caused by domestic structures and external shocks but maintains a concrete response is being implemented.

"Cabinet Secretaries must be judged by results, not noise... I do not believe regional support rests on individual cabinet positions. It rests on delivery, inclusion, and the president's national mandate," he says.

Observers believe the president has created his own problem. Firstly, he chose cronies over experts but has also swallowed and dwarfed nearly all CSs in his circle in a tightly controlled political strategy where he is the president, the CS, the PS, and the attack dog against critics.

However, they opine, Kenyans are increasingly becoming restless and are attaching the tough economic situation on corruption and cronyism that has seen the president’s closest circle focus their attention on his reelection campaign at the expense of service deliver.

Chris Owalla, an activist and a political commentator, argues that the president is cornered and how he handles his cabinet will have implications on his administration.

“The president needs to allow his CSs to work. He is literally the president and the CS and controls everything and through his cronies who interfere in corridors,” he says.

According to the analyst, it is tricky for the president to break his bond with experts from ODM who are part of his cabinet because their positions were slots that were negotiated by the ODM leadership.

He opines that a ministry like Education has been underfunded by the president’s regime, leaving the CS with little to do to answer the concerns of parents and teachers.

This is the same situation Oparanya’s ministry is facing, even as he sends his own signals of a frustrated leader. Early this week, Oparanya shocked many when he told the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives that his office is underfunded and wonders if it is considered as one of the cabinet ministries.

Analysts believe that the president has created a problem of choice and is the reason behind the alleged underperformance by his ministers. They claim he controls everything and is the force who assembled a gathering of incompetents, placing loyalists in vital dockets at the expense of professionalism.

The president, however, is fuming at the opposition, shifting blame to them for allegedly politicizing the economic situation for personal gain. Deemed a loner, the president has also taken up the role of his CSs, launching projects critics believe should be done by his junior officers. 

Muluka observes that President Ruto also faces delicate political calculations, especially regarding regional representation in government.

He singled out Western region, where C Oparanya has recently appeared critical of the government over alleged underfunding of his ministry.

According to Muluka, such public disagreements may signal deeper political discomfort within sections of the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“The President must balance performance with political interests because removing certain figures could be interpreted regionally or politically,” he said.

He warned that mishandling a reshuffle could alienate key voting blocs ahead of the 2027 General Election, particularly in regions where Kenya Kwanza is still consolidating support.

Among those calling for changes is advocate William Onyonje, who says several Cabinet Secretaries have failed to inspire public confidence and have instead exposed weaknesses within government coordination and crisis management.

According to Onyonje, Cabinet Secretaries play a central role in policy formulation and implementation and should therefore demonstrate competence, coordination and effective communication during times of national crisis.

“The Cabinet Secretaries are pivotal in making critical decisions whenever Cabinet meetings are slated. It is important to have technocrats who can discharge their mandates in an organised manner without causing panic to the public,” said Onyonje.

The lawyer further faulted the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, saying the government appeared reactive rather than proactive in handling security-related concerns and public demonstrations.

“The recent demonstrations over the fuel crisis should have been contained earlier through intelligence and dialogue instead of waiting until the situation exploded on national television,” he said.

Onyonje also raised concerns over the Ministry of Health, which has recently come under scrutiny over controversies surrounding the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

“The health sector is under immense pressure because SHA and SHIF are not effectively serving the purpose for which they were created. This reflects poor leadership and inept handling of critical reforms,” he stated.

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Additional reporting by Mary Imenza and Benard Lusigi