NAIROBI — In a significant political maneuver, President William Ruto of Kenya appointed four ministers from the main opposition party to his new Cabinet on Wednesday.
This move aims to form a broad-based government to address pressing governance issues that have sparked deadly protests across the nation.
Among the new appointees are the minority leader in parliament and the chairman of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s party. Despite this inclusion, the opposition coalition remains divided, with several parties distancing themselves from these government talks.
The protests, which began as a reaction to a proposed bill to increase taxes, have plunged East Africa’s economic hub into turmoil. With many Kenyans struggling to make ends meet amid soaring prices, the unrest has led to dozens of deaths, the dismissal of numerous Cabinet members, and calls for President Ruto’s resignation.
In his address on Wednesday, President Ruto praised the political parties for their “willingness to set aside partisan positions and interests in order to join a visionary partnership for the radical transformation of Kenya,” calling it a historic act of patriotism.
However, Raila Odinga, who had earlier called for dialogue to quell the unrest, denied allegations on Tuesday that he had been bribed to collaborate with Ruto.
Odinga reiterated his support for the protesters, stating that dialogue would only commence once the president met their demands.
Odinga’s party secretary-general emphasized on Tuesday that there were no ongoing negotiations to join the Ruto administration, warning that any member seeking a ministerial position was contravening the party’s stance.
Although the opposition coalition is not directly leading the protests, it has supported the demonstrators. The coalition asserts that the governance issues raised by the protesters align with its own proposals during previous opposition-led protests.
President Ruto has vowed to reform his government, pledging to crack down on corrupt officials and those displaying opulence amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
In response to the Cabinet appointments, activist Hanifa Aden posted on X, “we are the new opposition.”
Since June 18, at least 50 people have died and 413 others have been injured in the protests, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
Email us at: info@alleastafrica.com
