This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
Kenya's New Cabinet Takes Shape ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to announce a new cabinet, with veteran politicians Kalonzo Musyoka, Gideon Moi, and Isaac Rutto among those expected to feature.
According to reports on June 16, 2020, Kalonzo is set to take up the Foreign Affairs docket, while Rutto is expected to assume the Agriculture docket. Gideon Moi, on the other hand, is proposed to be the new Energy CS, but he is reportedly reluctant to take up the role, as it would automatically trigger a by-election in Baringo and force him to hand over the leadership of KANU.
The changes are expected to wipe out half of the current cabinet, with other notable figures including Charles Nyachae, retired major general Samson Mwathathe, and former MPs Paul Otuoma, Jamleck Kamau, and Kabando Wa Kabando.
Meanwhile, the fate of Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru remains uncertain, with a motion to impeach her causing confusion and splitting senators within Jubilee Party and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Deputy President William Ruto is said to have hosted 14 senators allied to his Tanga Tanga faction and instructed them not to be coerced to save Waiguru, but instead look at the merits and demerits of the case and make independent decisions.
However, ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga's allies have differed on the position their members would take when the fate of the embattled governor would be tabled in the Senate on Tuesday.
On a separate note, the country is grappling with the spread of COVID-19, with State House confirming four cases of infection among presidential security team members. The staffers have been taken to Kenyatta University Hospital, while their families have been quarantined.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and the first family are reportedly free of the virus, and austerity measures have been taken to limit access to the office of the head of state.
Additionally, a Siaya court has declined a request by the family of the late James Oyugi Onyango to exhume his body for a proper and decent burial, citing the risk of exposing the family to possible infection.
Lastly, a meeting between Chief Justice David Maraga and the newly installed Senate leaders Samuel Poghisio and Irungu Kang'ata has been held to discuss cooperation between the Senate and the Judiciary.
