Tough week ahead for President Ruto

By Moses Muli

Published: July 15,2024 12:09 PM

He may have been having a strong sense of foreboding in Ndaragua when he asked the church to pray for him on Sunday.

President William Ruto without doubt is staring at a rough and tough week with the remains of human bodies being retrieved from the Mukuru kwa Njenga dump site increasing, even as the country awaits a new cabinet and the beginning of his promised talks.

On Sunday, emotions were high at Kware after residents counted more body parts stuffed in gunny bags causing more anger in Kenya’s youngest adults – Gen Z, who have been quick to associate the bodies with victims of the country’s trigger-happy security teams.

Kenyans will be keenly watching the manner in which President Ruto will be handling the killings of mostly youths by unknown individuals with more than eight female bodies aged between 18-30 having been retrieved so far at Kware.

The President has already ordered the National Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and other relevant bodies to expedite investigations while condemning the heinous acts saying those found liable must face the full force of the law.

“There is no justification for any Kenyan to lose their life, we are a democratic country guided by the rule of law, those involved in mysterious killings in Nairobi and any other part of the country will be held to account, I can assure the country that the investigation agencies have swung to action,” said Ruto.

Generation Z have vowed to carry out countrywide demonstrations in condemnation of the killing of peaceful protesters by the police as they agitated for good governance as enshrined in the constitution.

Even as the President accedes to several demands by Generation Z, they are expected to push on with their demonstrations across the country tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday. Their demands have now morphed into seeking President Ruto’s resignation, especially after bodies were discovered in Mukuru Kwa Njenga.

The youths have already taken their demonstrations to various County headquarters taking Governors to account over the manner in which they have used billions of shillings allocated to the devolved units in the past few years.

It will be interesting to watch how the countrywide protests will end with the President’s allies accusing some unnamed individuals of sponsoring them with the aim of eventually overthrowing his government.

The country also, this week, awaits Ruto’s word on a six-day multi-sectoral forum dialogue focusing on various issues affecting Kenyans. The issues include bad governance, youth unemployment, ballooning public debt, corruption and tribalism.

“We have agreed that we have to bring the country together, that is why we will be having a multi sectoral forum dialogue bringing together 150 participants with 50 of them being youths while 100 of them will come from the religious community, civil society, political parties and professional groups,” said Ruto last week.

The President said that the forum is expected to come up with proposals to move the country forward following weeks of protests by Generation Z. The promised talks were supported by opposition chief Raila Odinga who had joined the President during the occasion of his assenting to the IEBC law. Raila has however come under sharp criticisms from Gen Z and within Azimio ranks. Kenya’s youths dismissed him as no longer speaking for them and that itwas better he kept away – Raila seemed to beat a clever retreat and has been luck-luster about the talks

Following Ruto’s last week bombshell on his cabinet, where he send it home save for the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the country expects him to, this week, name a lean, effective and efficient Cabinet of around 15 members.

Ruto will be walking a tight rope as he strives to come up with a professional Cabinet that will represent the face of Kenya and enable him implement promises made to Kenyans during his campaigns to address the concerns of citizens not satisfied with the dismissed cabinet.

On Sunday in Ndaragua, the president called on the church to keep him in prayer as he embarks on appointing a new cabinet.

Ruto sought the approval of the congregants for his intended formation of another government, which he has hinted at, including other political factions and stakeholders.

According to close allies of the president, he is expected to retain at least five members of the current cabinet who have displayed competence in their dockets even though it is not clear whether he will have them in their previous dockets or assign them new ones.

In the previous Cabinet formation, Ruto displayed loyalty to some of his allies who supported him during the last election giving them lucrative dockets which some mismanaged causing an uproar among Kenyans.

According to reliable sources close to the Presidency, former Cabinet Secretaries; Kithure Kindiki(Interior), Aden Duale (Defence), Rebecca Miano (Trade) and Soipan Tuya (Environment) are expected to be renamed in the new cabinet line-up with the President said to have been satisfied with their performance.

ODM Deputy Leaders Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho who previously served as Kakamega and Mombasa Governors respectively are among those expected to be named in the new Cabinet line-up according to sources close to the Presidency with the two being close allies of ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga.