Ruto’s ‘Incompetence Express’ – Fired Officials Get New Jobs in Never-Ending Government Musical Chairs
The Kenya Kwanza government, under President William Ruto, has developed a pattern of redeploying senior officials even after dismissing them. This has led to accusations that the president prefers to recycle officials rather than completely remove them, even when he describes them as “incompetent.”
The Train of Government Reassignments
President Ruto’s administration operates like a train with different compartments. Instead of throwing dismissed officials off the train, they are simply moved to another compartment. The latest case raising speculation is that of Justin Muturi, former Attorney General and now Cabinet Secretary for Public Service.
On Tuesday night, during an Iftar dinner at State House, President Ruto publicly criticized Muturi’s performance as Attorney General.
“I had a problem with the AG who was there before—he was fairly incompetent. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position, and I can assure you that the issues of Waqf will be sorted out within months,” Ruto said.
Despite this, Muturi remains in government. The big question is: If he is removed from his current post, will he be reassigned elsewhere like others before him?
A Pattern of Reappointments
Last week’s government changes saw former ICT Principal Secretary Edward Kisiang’ani reassigned as a senior advisor and member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.
This follows a trend where former ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo and former Public Service CS Moses Kuria were fired from the cabinet, only to be reassigned as presidential advisors.
Even when Ruto dismissed his entire cabinet on July 11, 2024, due to Gen Z-led protests, many of the officials found their way back into government.
“I have seen many people ask me why did you dismiss the whole cabinet and then hire some back. Let me answer it this way: It was necessary to have a fresh start because I told the people of Kenya we are going to have a broad-based government,” Ruto explained on July 29, 2024.
Nearly half of the dismissed cabinet members were later reappointed. Former Health CS Susan Nakhumicha was recently nominated as Kenya’s permanent representative to the UN-Habitat in Nairobi.
Other reappointments include:
- Andrew Karanja – Former Agriculture CS, now Kenya’s ambassador to Brazil.
- Aisha Jumwa – Former Gender CS, now chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board, despite opposition from engineers over her lack of relevant experience.
- Margaret Nyambura Ndungu – Former ICT CS, who declined a posting as Kenya’s ambassador to Ghana.
President Ruto’s Criticism of Officials
During the signing of performance contracts at State House, President Ruto criticized some of his Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) and Principal Secretaries (PSs) for their lack of competence.
“You are the PS or the minister and you don’t have information—how do you run a ministry, a department, or a parastatal if you have no information? That is the highest level of incompetence,” he remarked.
Another Cabinet Reshuffle Looming?
With another cabinet reshuffle expected soon, will Justin Muturi be the next official to be dismissed and then redeployed? If history is anything to go by, the answer seems likely. As the Kenya Kwanza train continues moving, officials may switch compartments but rarely get off completely.
Ruto’s ‘Incompetence Express’ – Fired Officials Get New Jobs in Never-Ending Government Musical Chairs
