This archive report was first published on 14 January 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's surprise reshuffle on Tuesday, 14th January, has left many wondering about the fate of former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri. According to Kandara MP Alice Wahome, Kiunjuri's sacking is a clear case of political punishment for his unwavering support to Deputy President William Ruto.
“Kiunjuri was among the best Cabinet Secretaries but he is being punished over his steadfast support to the Deputy President,” Alice Wahome noted.
On the same day, Kiunjuri was dropped as Agriculture Cabinet Secretary and sent home, amidst a supposed crackdown on Tanga Tanga allied legislators. The move has been met with mixed reactions, with a majority supporting the change.
Analysts argue that Kiunjuri had been courting his sacking after recent pronouncements against the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu told the People Daily, “He (Kiunjuri) keeps talking about 2022 which the President, who is his boss, has warned about. He is talking of a government that will be created as though he does not believe in the current one in which he serves. He is basically preparing the ground for crying foul when he is finally sacked,”
Other changes in the Cabinet include the appointment of Mutahi Kagwe as the new Health CS and Betty Maina taking over the Industrialisation docket. The following Cabinet Secretaries retained their positions: Dr. Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Adan Mohammed (East African Community and Northern Corridor Development), Amina Mohammed (Sports, Culture and Heritage), Charles Keter (Energy), Eugene Wamalwa (Devolution), James Macharia (Transport), Joe Mucheru (ICT), Najib Balala (Tourism), Prof. George Magoha (Education), Farida Karoney (Lands), Keriako Tobiko (Environment), John Munyes (Petroleum and Mining), and Margaret Kobia (Public Service).
