President William Ruto on Thursday, August 8, 2024, emphasised the need for servant leadership when he presided over the swearing-in of 19 cabinet secretaries at State House, Nairobi.

Ruto urged the leaders to uphold the highest standards of integrity and restraint, admitting that his previous cabinet had failed Kenyans, especially in regard to Article 10, Chapter 6 and Chapter 12 of the Constitution.

Ruto said Kenyans are hardworking individuals and that the conduct of public officers must reflect this fundamental principle.

“All they ask, and all they need is a government that maintains an enabling environment for them to succeed and stays out of their way while they go about their work. Kenyans demand, and not only deserve, but are constitutionally entitled to servant leadership; all levels of the public service, from the Cabinet all the way to the grassroots have no choice but to live up to the truest standard of servant leadership,” Ruto noted.

Similarly, the head of state urged Kenyans to accord his new cabinet the time and peace to perform their duties as constitutionally provided.

“I ask citizens of our great nation to give a chance to these great men and women to this new cabinet and to support them to deliver on their mandate that has been given to them constitutionally,” he stated.

The head of state urged the new cabinet secretaries to hit the ground running, even as their cars were being affixed with national flags as the swearing-in progressed.

Ruto on including rivals

The president observed that the new cabinet would accelerate the transformation envisaged in his Bottom-up Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Ruto noted that the past political rivalries had affected service delivery. He also lamented that his previous administration had failed to effectively communicate the various projects that he had initiated across the country.

“With the formation of this broad-based government that brings together former political rivals into one selfless, patriotic team, we will unlock the potential of our country that has long been denied to us by factional and sectarian competition. Our potential as a nation and the attainment of that potential has often been undermined by divisions arising from political competition. Where Kenya is today, while competition is healthy and good, there is a moment where the interest of a nation is greater than the interest of a political formation,” he added.