President Uhuru Kenyatta's government is becoming more inclusive going by yesterday's reorganisation in which a number of opposition sympathisers got jobs.
The roping in of new faces is intended to ensure better service delivery to Kenyans.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka made gains with a number of their allies named in the expanded Cabinet announced by the President at State House Mombasa.
Raila’s ally Peter Odoyo, a one Nyakach MP, is the new Cabinet Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the key Defence docket now headed by Ambassador Monica Juma.
Prior to his nomination, Odoyo was ODM leader's senior adviser on foreign and diaspora matters.
The former assistant minister in the coalition government of retired President Mwai Kibaki and Raila has been maintaining close ties with the opposition chief. He for a long time served as a member of Raila’s ODM National Elections Board.
Odoyo's new appointment makes him the second highest-ranked official in the ministry.
The post of CAS was created by President Kenyatta in 2018. The holder is supposed to help in the coordination of state departments.
“I have made appointments of the Chief Administrative Secretaries. Peter Odoyo will be Chief Administrative Secretary for Defence,” Uhuru said in his televised state of the nation address.
Wiper leader Kalonzo's close ally Wavinya Ndeti became the CAS in the prestigious Transport docket.
Wavinya, who dumped her Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) party in 2017 and unsuccessfully vied for the Machakos gubernatorial seat on a Wiper ticket, has maintained close ties with the former VP.
Unlike other Nasa co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula, Kalonzo has expressed unconditional support for President Kenyatta’s Jubilee administration. He has also made a truce with Raila.
He himself was last year named special peace envoy to South Sudan. He became the second opposition leader that Uhuru gave job after Raila who is African Union special envoy for infrastructure.
The President also brought in a number of new faces in a line-up that saw youths taking a sizeable share.
“I would want Kenyans to note that seven of these appointments to the positions of Chief Administrative Secretaries are young people, some below the age of 30 years,” Uhuru said.
Among the new CASs are Linah Chelimo (Agriculture), Nadia Ahmed Abdalla (ICT, Innovation and Youth affairs), Mercy Mwangangi (Health), Anne Mukami (Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives) and Maureen Mbaka (ICT, Innovation and Youth affairs).
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