Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday the removal of practically his entire cabinet and the formation of a “broad-based government” in response to huge anti-government rallies. r
He stated that the measure affects all ministers, including the attorney general, but excludes Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Ruto stated that he made the decision to remove him “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said, and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my cabinet and its achievements and challenges.”.
The action comes after generally peaceful rallies by young Kenyans against Ruto and his government, which have escalated into lethal violence.
Ruto also said he will “immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government.”.
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.”.
Chronicle NG reported that Riot police patrolled Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday as young activists called for more protests following last week’s deadly clashes.
Members of the protest movement, which has no official leaders and largely organises via social media, have rejected appeals from President William Ruto for dialogue, even after he abandoned proposed tax hikes.
Infuriated by the deaths last week—at least 39, according to the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR)—many are now demanding that Ruto step down.
