Ruto reassigns nine PSs as Raila becomes new centre of power

President William Ruto has reassigned nine PSs, appointed 13 new ones and created new departments in the new changes that lift the lid on Raila Odinga’s growing influence in government.

Ruto created seven new state departments bringing the number of PSs to about 58 — the highest since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution — and coming at a time of hue and cry about the country’s wage bill.

Ruto has been working with 51 PSs In the changes announced on Thursday, Ruto has reassigned PS Geoffrey Kaituko (Shipping and Maritime) and Peter Tum (Sports).

Also affected are James Muhati (Economic Planning), Abdi Fidhow (EAC), Abubakar Hassan (Investment Promotion), Alfred K’Ombudo (Trade), Edward Kisiang’ani (Broadcasting) and Amos Gathecha (Public Service).

Kisiang’ani has been named senior advisor and member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors while Tum now heads to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo as the country’s ambassador.

K’Ombudo has been named the new deputy head of mission Brussels in Belgium while Muhati heads to Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China as the Consul-General. Kaituko is the country’s new Deputy Head of Mission in Rome, Italy.

In making the changes, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the shifts were necessitated by need to harness the opportunities with emerging sectors of the economy, as well as address challenges affecting Kenya’s social fabric.

“Collectively, the changes seek to further accelerate the implementation of the administration’s seminal socio-economic blue-print, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (Beta),” Koskei said in the dispatch.

PSs are accounting officers of their state departments and ministries and are considered technocrats in their respective fields.

The President brought in new faces, a majority of them well-known allies of Raila, which exposed the opposition chief as the new center of power in the Kenya Kwanza regime.

Among those appointed include former senator and ODM election board chairperson Judith Pareno.

Pareno has been appointed to the Office of the head of Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional — a new department in the state law office.

Raila’s long-term youth leader at the Coast Fikirini Jacobs, was picked as PS for Affairs in the Ministry of Youths and Sports.

He replaces Ismail Madey who has been moved to the new department of special programmes in the Ministry of Public Service.

Also linked to Raila is Carren Achieng who was picked as Children Welfare Service PS, a new department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

The President appointed Michael Lenasalon as Devolution PS to replace Teresiah Mbaika, who was moved to the Ministry of Roads in the same capacity.

Former KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga has been picked as the new Medical Service PS, replacing Harry Kimtai, who has been moved to the Ministry of Mining in the same capacity.

Former Nyeri deputy governor Carolyne Karugu has been picked EACC PS replacing Abdi Fidhow who was appointed as Consul-General, Arusha United Republic of Tanzania.

Also linked to Raila is Regina Ombam, who replaced K’Ombudo as Trade PS. K’Ombundo has been picked as the new Deputy Head of Mission in Brussels.

Bonface Makokha replaces James Muhati as Economic Planning PS. Muhati has been picked as the Consul-General Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China.

The President also split the departments in the Ministry of Education.

He created a new department for Science, Research and Innovation and appointed Abdulrazak Shaukat as the PS.

Former Wajir North MP Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim has been picked as the PS, Department of National Government Coordination in the office of Prime Cabinet Secretary.

Stephen Isaboke is the Broadcasting and Telecommunications PS, replacing Kisiangani.

The changes are coming at a time Raila’s influence has been growing since his failed bid at the African Union Commission chair in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Raila’s private office at Capitol Hill Square in Nairobi, has been a beehive of activities with delegation including those seeking government appointments queuing to have a word with him.

Apart from increased political activities at Capitol Hill Square, Raila has also attended two high-profile engagements at State House where he speaks last before inviting the President to make an address demonstrating his soaring influence.

On Tuesday, the veteran opposition chief attended a state banquet for a visiting royal family and sat after Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

The following day, Raila was at State House with Ruto and spoke before inviting the President during the occasion to award charter to Riara University.

Ordinarily, Raila with no official position in government is an outsider in government and should not speak after senior government officials.

Yesterday, Raila met his ‘experts’ in the broad-based government, the first ever meeting since they were incorporated into the Kenya Kwanza government.

“I met our experts in the broad based coalition together with our parliamentary leadership to consult on national and emerging issues,” Raila said after the meeting.

Present during the meeting were Cabinet secretaries John Mbadi (Treasury), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives), Hassan Joho (Blue Economy) and Beatrice Askul (EAC).

Also present were National Assembly Minority leader Junet Mohamed, his Senate counterpart Stewart Madzayo and Kenya Revenue Authority chairperson Ndiritu Muriithi.

Sources who were part of the meeting denied it was all about the expected changes in government saying they were being briefed on the MoU with the President.

“We were just touching base; we have never met him since our appointments. The other time we met as party officials, the likes of Askul and Muriithi were not there,” the source told the Star.

“He was briefing us on the progress they have made in terms of Memorandum of Understanding with the President and also getting our views on the progress the government is making,” another source added.