Kenyan President William Ruto appointed his foreign minister as “acting cabinet secretary” for all ministries on Wednesday, nearly a week after dissolving almost his entire cabinet in an effort to calm deadly anti-government protests.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The East African nation was left reeling when peaceful protests last month against heavy tax increases devolved into violence, killing dozens and leaving Ruto with the most serious crisis of his leadership.
In an effort to control the consequences, he has taken a number of steps, including rejecting the financial package that contained the tax increases, declaring government cuts, and sacking nearly all of his cabinet last week.
According to a government Gazette Notice dated July 12 and posted on Wednesday, Musalia Mudavadi has been appointed as the Acting Cabinet Secretary for all empty Ministerial Portfolios.
Mudavadi, who is the prime cabinet secretary and foreign minister, survived the cabinet purge on July 11, along with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Ruto stated that he would “immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government” following the resignations.
This government, he claimed, will assist him in developing “radical programmes” to address the country’s massive debt burden, expand job possibilities, remove government waste, and “slay the dragon of corruption”.
However, Azimio, the major opposition coalition, stated on Wednesday evening that it would “not be part of proposed broad-based or any other government”.
It stated that “a people-driven National Constitutional Convention as a possible pathway towards the resolution of the national crisis” had been examined.
The cabinet dismissals were the latest move by the increasingly embattled Kenyan president to calm tensions.
Ruto has sought dialogue with the demonstrators, but the movement has spiralled into a broader campaign against his administration, with protesters calling for action against corruption and justice for victims of alleged police brutality.
The initially peaceful rallies degenerated into violence that has left 50 dead and 413 injured since their start on June 18, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday.
Rights groups have accused police of using disproportionate force against the protesters.
While large street protests have subsided, anger against the government has not, with Tuesday seeing smaller-scale rallies across Kenya.
Some demonstrators clashed with police, according to local media, with officers firing tear gas at small groups gathered to protest in the capital Nairobi.
Many of those attending the marches also carried signs with the still-popular hashtag #RutoMustGo…CONTINUE READING>>
