More Cabinet changes coming, Osoro says

National Assembly Chief Whip and South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

More changes in the Cabinet are coming with nonperforming cabinet secretaries facing the sack, according to National Assembly Chief Whip Silvanus Osoro.

The South Mugirango MP, who spoke on Thursday at the Anglican Church of Kenya in Thika during a requiem mass for EALA MP Maina Karobia's father, Jamleck Mwangi, urged CSs to rise to the occasion and execute their mandates to ensure the country's social-economic development.

Osoro said the recent reorganization of the government by President William Ruto set the stage for more reshuffles and sackings he said would happen before the end of the year.

He warned that the non-performers would be shown the door.

Osoro noted that the reallocation of duties among the CSs was the clearest signal that the Head of State was not satisfied with the competence demonstrated by some of his ministers.

"You guys saw during the vetting process a nominee saying that monkeys can be moved from one place to the other. It is a clear indication that such a person cannot hold certain dockets," Osoro said.

Osoro made the statement just a day after President Ruto reorganized his executive, handing the Foreign Affairs docket to the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and moving his predecessor, Alfred Mutua, to the Tourism and Wildlife Ministry.

"Most of the Cabinet Secretaries have displayed incapacity to handle heavy loads within their respective ministries and as such, the Head of State had to take action for effective delivery of the promises he made to Kenyans," Osoro said.

Kiambaa MP John Njuguna, who spoke at the same event, noted that reorganization in government was long overdue.

"President Ruto has paid the political debt he owed his campaigners by appointing them to various ministries and as such, the CSs should either serve diligently or face the axe," said Njuguna.

The MP urged the President to crack the whip on anyone who does not perform. He said there are other competent Kenyans eyeing these positions.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Betty Maina, the Murang'a Woman Representative, who insisted that there are no special ministries for incompetent people. "All inept ministers should be sacked and replaced."

She added: "I will never sit and support a person, even if they are from Mt Kenya, as long as they are not performing. All I know is that Kenyans deserve an equal chance and good services. I am in support of the president's move to reshuffle his cabinet the way he wants," Ms Maina said.

The president reorganized his cabinet a few months after he publicly lambasted his cabinet and accused some of them of being clueless in matters concerning their portfolios.

Apart from Dr Mutua, the other notable change in the Cabinet was the movement of the controversial Moses Kuria from Investment, Trade and Industry to the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery.

The changes also affected eight PSs, who reassigned. Several ambassadors were also affected.