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After several hours of discourse, confrontations and murmurs, President William Ruto has come out to defend his decision to nominate key Raila Odinga’s lieutenants to his Cabinet.

Addressing Tharaka Nithi residents on Thursday, July 25, 2024, the Head of State indicated that his decision to front the four Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) members to serve in his Cabinet is aimed at forging a united front in tackling pertinent issues bedevilling the country with one of them being paying the country’s debt.

Ruto told Tharaka Nithi residents that with his new broad-based Cabinet, the country will be able to pay its debt and stabilise the economy.

In the new formation, ODM chairperson John Mbadi has been nominated as CS in the Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning. If approved, Mbadi will be the brains towards implementing of new measures aimed at addressing the issue of debt.

Other than the national debt, Ruto underscored the decision to nominate ODM men to his Cabinet in a bid to foster a united front in honouring the tax obligation.

At the heart of tax reforms and new tax policies will be Mbadi if his nomination will be approved by the Members of Parliament.

“Jana nimeunda serikali ya kuunganisha wakenya wote. Juu sasa nimesema hakuna haja ya kubaguana tena. Si tunataka kulipa ushuru pamoja, si tunataka kulipa madeni pamoja, si tunataka kufanya maendeleo pamoja, si watu wote wanalipa ushuru. sasa tuungane tungeneze serikali ambayo itaunganisha wakenya na itushughulikie sisi wote mambo ya maendeleo iweze kusonga mbele (Yesterday I formed a government of national unity. That is because I have decided there is no need of discrimination. We want to pay our taxes together, we want to pay our debts together and we want to implement development programmes together. Now let us unite and make a government which will bring everyone on board to serve every Kenyan so that we can move forward), Ruto stated.

Other ODM members nominated to Cabinet are Leader of the Minority side in Parliament Opiyo Wandayi (Ministry of Energy and Petroleum) ODM Deputy Party Leader and former Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho (Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs) and former Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development).

Plead with the public

At the same time, Ruto pleaded with all the Kenyans to thrown their weight behind his new government insisting that violence and destruction of property will not address the issues raised in a series of protests staged in different parts of the country.

“Mimi nawauliza wakenya tuungane hatuna nchi ingine, nchi yetu ni moja, tuiharibu hii hakuna mahali pengine pa kuenda ( I want to ask all the Kenyans to unite since we do not any other country other than this one. If we destroy the country we will not have anywhere else to go),” he pleaded.

Commissioning of the Kibung'a Kakimiki Water Project, Marimanti, Tharaka Nithi County. https://t.co/l2WV0cmx3k

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 25, 2024

Vetting timeline

In a notice on Thursday, July 25, 2024, the National Assembly announced that the CS nominees will be vetted from Thursday, August 1, 2024. The vetting process will conclude on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

The CS nominees will be expected to meet the Committee on Appointments at the Mini-Chamber, County Hall, Parliament Buildings starting from 8.00 am.

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki will be the first nominee to face the Committee on Appointments.

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