Ruto CS nominees await MPs’ verdict on January 16

The National Assembly is set to give a verdict on the fate of three cabinet secretary nominees who will be vetted on Tuesday before they are approved or rejected on January 16, 2025.

In a notice to members of parliament on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang’ula said a special sitting would be convened to write a report on their suitability or lack thereof.

“MPs will have a morning sitting starting at 10:00 am and an afternoon sitting starting at 2:30 pm to consider business,” Wetang’ula noted.

Cabinet nominees William Kabogo- Information Communication & Digital Economy, Lee Kinyanjui- Investment, Trade & Industry and Mutahi Kagwe- Agriculture are expected to be scrutinized on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, before they can take over their respective offices.

SRC chairperson

Similarly, the MPs are expected to finalise the mediated budget allocation of Ksh387 billion to counties after weeks of a protracted negotiation process.

The MPs, who ordinarily would be on recess up until February 10, 2025, are expected back to a full in-tray with other vetting sessions lined up for them including that of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) board chairperson Sammy Chepkwony who was nominated by Ruto.

Chepkwony, a human resource expert with over 30 years of experience is set to be grilled by the MPS alongside the vice-chairperson of the Public Service Commission and board members.

MPs are equally getting ready to vet ambassadorial nominees by Ruto including the Permanent Representative and Consul-General.

During the morning and afternoon sessions, the MPs are expected to also deliberate on the Persons with Disabilities Bill (Senate Bill No. 7 of 2023) and the Startup Bill (Senate Bill No. 14 of 2022).

CS nominees

The nominations of Kinyanjui, Kagwe and Kabogo came just days after Ruto met with former president Uhuru Kenyatta in his Ichaweri home in Gatundu.

The nominations are seen to be an attempt by Ruto to quell the disquiet in Mount Kenya occasioned by the expulsion of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from his seat.

In the reshuffling that followed, former Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja was moved to be Kenya’s ambassador to Brazil while his counterpart Margaret Nyambura who was CS Information, Communication & Digital Economy was moved to be the ambassador to Ghana.