Several of President Ruto’s die-hard allies during the last Presidential campaigns missed out on his 22-member cabinet that was unveiled on Tuesday at the Statehouse in Nairobi. Notable characters that missed out include United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Chairman Johnston Muthama and former Turkana County Governor Josephat Nanok who acted as the director of elections of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential campaign team.
“I looked at the list twice, thrice, believing that my specs were distorting my vision, I removed them and scanned the list again. Unsatisfied, I gave the list to a buddy to confirm it for me. Failing to get his name, we decided it was fake news,“ Edwin Murira, a Maragua constituency politician said
In the Mt Kenya region, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro was fronted as a potential Cabinet Secretary but unfortunately for him, he did not make the list. Nyoro was constantly present in most of President Ruto’s political campaigns with others even referring to him as one of the President’s closest allies. A section of leaders was astounded by his missing on the list.
“I looked at the list twice, thrice, believing that my specs were distorting my vision, I removed them and scanned the list again. Unsatisfied, I gave the list to a buddy to confirm it for me. Failing to get his name, we decided it was fake news,“ Edwin Murira, a Maragua constituency politician said.
Another notable character that stupefied the nation was David Ndii as he was the brains behind the bottom-up economic model which was the backbone of President Ruto’s electoral campaign. With the crucial role, he played many thought he would have been considered. Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko was also shockingly left out of the new cabinet despite having earlier communicated that he had been promised appointive positions after ditching the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition to support President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
“Below are positions offered to me and my people as captured in the engagement agreement/MoU: One CS, Three PS positions, Four Ambassadors, Three CECs- Mombasa County, Three Chief Officers- Mombasa County, Two CECs- Nairobi County and Three Chief Officers in Mombasa County,” Sonko said in a tweet after a meeting with the president. “With your blessings, I would like to get into this agreement with UDA so that I can be assured of jobs and opportunities for my Mombasa and Nairobi people.”
Former Migori governor Okoth Obado’s name did not make it to the list. Obado was President Ruto’s wingman in the Nyanza region with him drumming support for him during his campaigns in a place that was considered Raila’s “bedroom”, all this after ditching the Azimio la Umoja team. It is however now a wait-and-see situation for these politicians as the new government is yet to unveil all its leaders.
Story By Lavin Atieno
