- The two are former ICT CS Eliud Owalo and his Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management counterpart, Moses Kuria.
- They were among 11 former CSs Ruto left out while constituting his new broad-based government that includes four ODM members.
Image: PCS
Kenyans have reacted with consternation to President William Ruto’s appointment of two of his former Cabinet Secretaries to plum positions in government just over a month after he fired them.
The two are former ICT CS Eliud Owalo and his Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management counterpart, Moses Kuria.
They were among 11 former CSs Ruto left out while constituting his new broad-based government, which includes four ODM members.
“To support the Executive Office of the President in delivering its mandate, His Excellency the President has, with the approval of the Public Service Commission (PSC), appointed Eliud Owalo, as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Performance and Delivery Management,” Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said in a statement.
“To bolster implementation of the Bottom Up Economic Agenda Plan by the broad-based government, the Head of State and Government has caused the appointment of Moses Kuria, as a Senior Adviser in his Council of Economic Advisers."
While sending his former Cabinet members home on July 11, Ruto said he considered a number of factors including the need to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability in public service delivery.
His decision to reappoint some of them in the new Cabinet drew outbursts from a section of Kenyans then, as has happened with the appointments of Kuria and Owalo.
“First he fired them and then reappointed some to the cabinet while others are appointed to senior ranks of the executive. Who is he fooling really? One Kenyan asked on X.
“So there were no performance issues with the old Cabinet then,” quipped another.
“What happened to reducing the number of presidential advisers? Asked another Kenyan, calling himself Anwar Saddat.
Ruto on July 5, said the number of government advisers would be reduced by 50 per cent as part of austerity measures to cut public spending amid rising cost of living and debt obligations.
“So which advisers were fired because advisers were to be reduced? Asked Ruth Chelagat on X.
“In one way, he [Ruto] is reducing the number of advisers, in another, he is appointing new ones,” observed @NyakundiCarl.
“It is indeed a government of broad appeal. Everyone, save for the hustlers and Mama Mbogas, finds themselves with a plate to dine from,” added @GratiaDonum.
Apart from @bungomaduke who said, “Congratulations to them. They are all qualified and deserve the positions,” the majority of the other reactions disapproved of the appointments.
A few saw the appointments as mockery of the masses with one saying ‘Back to factory settings!”
Koskei said Owalo's assigment includes effective and efficient implementation, monitoring and evaluation of priority projects and initiatives of the Bottom Up Economic Plan.
He said Ruto also appointed Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi, the Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects in his office.
"This appointment will go into fostering this administration's zeal for innovation and growth towards a robust yet novel sector in the economic sphere," Koskei said.
Itumbi previously worked as a digital strategist in former President Uhuru Kenyatta's government.