- Wandayi was handed the reins of office by his predecessor Davis Chirchir who was moved to Roads and Transport docket in the newly constituted Cabinet.
- "Congratulations CS Opiyo Wandayi for officially assuming your new office today. Now serve the people of Kenya," ODM said on X.
Image: ODM/X
Opiyo Wandayi officially took over as the new Energy and Petroleum CS on Wednesday.
He was handed the reins of office by his predecessor Davis Chirchir who was moved to the Roads and Transport docket in the newly constituted Cabinet.
The changeover, held at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum at Nyayo House, Nairobi, was capped with song and dance as staff welcomed their new boss and wished farewell to Chirchir.
"Congratulations CS Opiyo Wandayi for officially assuming your new office today. Now serve the people of Kenya," ODM said on X.
The Ugunja MP was until his appointment to the Cabinet the minority leader in the National Assembly.
He has since resigned from the position whose current holder has been proposed by the ODM party to be Suna East MP Junet Mohammed.
Wandayi is one of four ODM luminaries who President William Ruto plucked from the Opposition as he constituted what he termed as a broad-based government.
The others are former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and nominated MP John Mbadi.
Mbadi was handed the all-powerful National Treasury docket, Joho the Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Ministry while Oparanya was put in charge of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
All four were, until their appointment, fierce Ruto critics.
Their inclusion in government appears to have stilled the waters after a series of Gen Z-led protests made the ride turbulent.
Ruto said it was necessary to include the Opposition in his new Cabinet to ensure the government has the face of the whole country.
He said the new inclusive government would tame incitement and enable the country to be focused on economic development.
The President added in jest that with the Opposition now in government, he will not be labelled Zakayo alone when he goes around collecting taxes because it will now be a collective responsibility.
"Sisi wote ni team moja. Tumekubaliana tunaunganisha Kenya iwe team moja,” he said on August 7 while speaking at Iriari, Runyenjes, Embu county.
“Juzi nimeunda serikali ya kuunganisha wakenya wote kwa sababu sitaki fitina tena na mkenya yeyote. Kama ni madeni tulipe pamoja; kama ni kutafuta ushuru tutafute pamoja.”
(We are all one team. We have agreed that we are uniting Kenya into one team. The other day I formed a unity government because I don't want to clash with any Kenyan. If it's debts, let's pay together; if it's taxes, let's look for it together)
Kenyans have taken to referring to Ruto as Zakayao, Swahili for Zacchaeus. Biblically, Zacchaeus was an abhorred tax collector.
"Mimi peke yangu nisiitwe Zakayo, sisi wote tupange mambo ya kutafuta ushuru ya Kenya. Pesa natafuta inaenda kwa account yetu sisi wote. Kwa hivyo kila mtu akuje akuwe Zakayo, tutafute ushuru pamoja," Ruto said.
(Let it not be just me being called Zakayo; let's all plan how to get taxes for Kenya. The money I’m looking for goes to our account. So everyone should come and be named Zakayo, let's look for tax together)