Ruto holds 1st Cabinet meeting in Kisumu State Lodge after reshuffle
By Francis Muli, October 9, 2023President William Ruto has held a Cabinet meeting in Kisumu State Lodge days after reshuffling the Cabinet.
In the cabinet reshuffle announced last week, Moses Kuria was moved to the Ministry of Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management.
Rebecca Miano, who until the changes was the CS for the East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development was moved to the Ministry of Trade.
Alice Wahome was moved to the Ministry of Lands previously headed by Zacharia Mwangi Njeru while Njeru was moved to the Water docket.
The Head of State also expanded the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary headed by Musalia Mudavadi to include the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, which was held by Alfred Mutua.
Mutua was moved to the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage which has been reconstituted and renamed as the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. The docket was previously headed by Peninah Malonza, who replaced Miano at the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development.
Further, the President established a new docket for the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, which will be headed by Aisha Jumwa.
Ruto signs new bill into law
The President held the meeting moments after signing the Privatisation Bill into law at 8:00 am.
The signing repeals the previous Privatisation Act of 2005, which was enacted before the current constitution and introduces key reforms aimed at streamlining the privatisation process for non-strategic or loss-making government entities.
The new law is aimed at encouraging the private sector to participate in the Kenyan economy by shifting the production and delivery of products and services away from the public sector.
Under this new law, the responsibility for formulating the privatisation program lies with the Cabinet Secretary, with the program subject to approval by the Cabinet and subsequent ratification by the National Assembly.
Moments after the Cabinet meeting, Ruto went on to commission MV Uhuru II at the Kisumu Shipyard, Kisumu Central Constituency.
The President is later in the day expected to launch the construction of the Bondo-Liunda Road in Bondo Constituency.