What Cabinet reshuffle says about William Ruto's intentions

President William Ruto. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

President William Ruto’s Cabinet reshuffle last week presented a moment of clarity about the direction he intends to pursue. It conflated the idea of enhanced service delivery and the political realignments needed to achieve this. It also brought to the fore the delicate balancing act required of the two strong-willed personalities who make up the presidency. In Kenya, alliances are held together by the threat of mutually assured political destruction in the event of a fallout. This is true of both the government and the opposition.

There are appointments that reflect the desire to deliver on the promises made to the people. These include those of the government spokesman and two deputies. The “Whole-of Government Approach”, where every Cabinet Secretary pronounces themselves on matters even outside their ministries has led to a cacophony of voices. It is hoped that the government spokesman will be the “single source of truth” and thus bring coherence to the Kenya Kwanza administration’s messaging.

CS Moses Kuria has been moved from the Ministry of Trade and Industrialisation to Public Service Performance and Delivery Management. Whereas Mr Kuria is an indefatigable performer, his putative acerbic tongue has rubbed many people the wrong way. A crucial ministry such as Trade and Industrialisation requires CSs with a more circumspect approach. This is because some of their utterances could be misconstrued to be public policy with resultant deleterious effects on relationships with donors and trade partners.

The expansion of the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office to include Foreign and Diaspora Affairs is a positive move. Musalia Mudavadi, its head, is an experienced politician renowned for his calm demeanour. That he will superintend over Kenya’s diplomatic corps speaks to the premium placed on this important docket. But it also speaks to the political realignment that places Mudavadi closer to the core of power. The elevation of Alice Wahome to the prestigious Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development reflects the delicate act that ensures the balance of power in the presidency.

Then, there is the curious appointment of Terry Ramadhan as Deputy Ambassador. Ramadhan was suspended from her position as CEO of Kemsa earlier in the year over graft allegations. Her new appointment, unlike that of the ambassador, does not require parliamentary vetting where questions on her suspension are bound to be raised. Questions arise: which of the principals in the presidency have fronted her inclusion? And having been suspended after a presidential promise to rid Kemsa of graft, is her inclusion not a flexing of muscles intended to test the bounds of authority within the presidency?

Certainly, there are political alignments that speak to the presidential elections of 2027 and the succession matrix thereafter. And in all these, one cannot discount the ethnic calculus which, unhappily for many who believe in purely issue-based political formations, is the reality that now dawns on them. President Ruto’s rapprochement with the Luhya nation by giving the Prime Cabinet Secretary a substantive portfolio solidifies his position in the pecking order. Reaching out to the Luo nation through numerous visits also aids this cause.

Mr Khafafa is a public policy analyst.