President William Ruto Names New Cabinet Secretaries [Full List]

President William on Tuesday, September 27, named his nominees to the cabinet exactly two weeks after his swearing in on August 13. President Ruto retain only one of the serving CSs from the immediate former President Uhuru Kenyatta administration, Labour and Social Protection CS Simon Chelugui.

His new cabinet will be bringing in a number of current and former legislators to the Executive arm of government including former National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, former Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen among others.

The nominated Cabinet Secretaries are:-

1. Prime Cabinet Secretary - Musalia Mudavadi
2. CS Interior - Professor Kithure Kindiki
3. Treasury - Njuguna Ndung'u
4. Public Service and Gender- Aisha Jumwa
5. Defence - Aden Duale
6. Water, Sanitation & Irrigation - Alice Wahome
7. Foreign and Diaspora Affairs - Alfred Mutua
8. Trade, Investment and Industry - Moses Kuria
9. East African Community - Rebecca Miano
10. Transport - Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen
11. Environment - Roselinda Soipan Tuya
12. Lands - Zachariah Mwangi Njeru
13. Tourism - Peninah Malonza
14. Agriculture - Mithika Linturi
15. Education - Ezekiel Machogu
16. Energy and Petroleum - Davis Chirchir
17. Sports - Ababu Namwamba
18. Cooperatives and MSMEs - Simon Chelugui
19. Mining - Salim Mvurya
20. Labour and social protection - Florence Bore
21. Health - Susan Wafula
22. Communication - Eliud Owalo

The President has also appointed former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi as the Attorney General, Mercy Wanjau as Secretary to the Cabinet, Monica Juma as National Security adviser and Harriet Chigai as the Women Rights Agency adviser.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Roles

In line with election promise of assigning his deputy substantive responsibilities, the president assigned the following roles to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua:-

1. Deputize for the President in execution of the President’s functions; 
2. Chair Cabinet Committees; 
3. Oversee Implementation of Cabinet decisions across all Ministries and State Departments; 
4. Coordinate Inter-Governmental relations between the National Government and County Governments including Chairing the Inter-Governmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC); 
5. Liaison with Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices in matters that require intervention by the National Government including budgets, policy formulation and implementation of their recommendations; 
6. Coordinate the planning and supervise the implementation of development partners funded programs and projects; 
7. Oversee Public Sector Reforms; and any other function as may be assigned by the President.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musali Mudavadi Roles

In his new role as Prime Cabinet Secretary, one-time Finance Minister (1993-1997) Musalia Mudavadi has been assigned the following roles:-

1. Assist the President and the Deputy President in the coordination and supervision of Government Ministries and State Departments; 
2. In liaison with the Ministry responsible for Interior and National Administration, oversee the implementation of National Government policies, programs and projects; 
3. Chair and Coordinate National Government legislative agenda across all ministries and state departments in consultation with and for transmission to the Party/Coalition Leaders in Parliament; 
4. Facilitate inter-ministerial coordination of crossfunctional initiatives and programmes; 
5. Coordinate and supervise the technical monitoring and evaluation of Government policies, programs and projects across Ministries; and 
6. Perform any other function as may be assigned by the President

The announcements coincided with the resignations of both the Inspector General of Police, Hilary Mutyambai, and Director General of Criminal Investigations, George Kinoti. These resignations were announced by the president on the same day.

President Uhuru Kenyatta's 2018 Cabinet

For comparison, you may be interested in the composition of former President Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet when he began his second term in 2018 after winning the repeat election.

1. Henry Rotich - National Treasury
2. Fred Matiang'i - Interior
3. Najib Balala - Tourism and Wildlife
4. Joseph Mucheru - ICT
5. Racheal Omamo - Defence
6. Adan Mohamed - Industrialisation and Enterprise Development
7. Charles Keter - Energy
8. James Macharia - Transport and Infrastructure Development (All above were retained from 2017)
9. Eugene Wamalwa - Devolution and ASAL areas
10. Mwangi Kiunjuri - Agriculture, Fisheries and Irrigation
11. Sicily Kariuki - Health
12. Amina Mohamed - Education (All above were Retained from 2017 but transferred)
13. Monica Juma - Foreign Affairs and International Trade (From PS to Cabinet)
14. Keriako Tobiko - Environment and Forestry
15. Margaret Kobia - Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs (Above two were from government agencies)
16. Peter Munya – EAC Affairs
17. Ukur Yattani – Labour and Social Protection (Above two were Former governors)
18. John Munyes - Petroleum and Mining
19. Rashid Achesa - Sports and Heritage
20. Simon Chergui - Water and Sanitation
21. Farida Karoney - Lands
22. Raphael Tuju – (without portfolio)

The 2013 Cabinet comprised 19 ministers serving in 20 dockets. The 2018 Cabinet comprised 22 CSs as been retained by President Ruto in the 2022 Cabinet. The Constitution allows a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 22 cabinet positions.

Of the 22 CSs in 2018, only six were women. Ruto’s inaugural cabinet comprises 7 women against a campaign promise of 50% of available positions.