This archive report was first published on 14 January 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta made a surprise move on Tuesday, firing Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri during an address to the nation from State House Mombasa.
Kiunjuri's departure comes on the heels of his failure to effectively deal with the locust menace in North Eastern Kenya. In a bizarre request, he had asked Kenyans to take pictures of all insects they suspected to be locusts and share them on social media.
The move has been met with ridicule on social media, with one user, Aggrey 'AG' Mutambo, tweeting, 'Because y'all refused to send photos of locusts…Kiunjuri has eaten the dust.'
Kiunjuri's support for Deputy President William Ruto has also been cited as a reason for his firing, making him the only Minister from Mt Kenya to be seen backing the DP.
Industrialization CS Adan Mohammed was also fired in the cabinet reshuffle.
The new Cabinet lineup includes:
- Rachel Omamo - CS Foreign Affairs
- Monica Juma - CS Defence
- Mutahi Kagwe - CS Health
- Sicily Kariuki - Water
- Peter Munya - Agriculture
- Monica Juma - Defence
- Ukur Yattani - Treasury
- Simon Chelugui - Labour
The changes are expected to have a significant impact on the country's leadership.
