Ruto Blends Old and New Faces in New ‘Handshake’ Cabinet

President William Ruto has finally unveiled his new Cabinet, marking an important shift in the country’s political landscape.

The announcement, made in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday afternoon, comes just weeks after Ruto’s decision to dissolve his entire Cabinet, after nationwide protests led by young people.

The new lineup reflects a strategic blend of familiar faces and fresh appointees, with some previously sacked members finding their way back into the fold. Notable appointments include Kipchumba Murkomen, who takes the helm of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, and Rebecca Miano, now heading the Tourism and Wildlife portfolio.

Murkomen previously headed the Roads ministry, and was a frequent target of Kenya’s ire, both for his performance and his lifestyle. His reappointment will surely elicit reactions from Kenyans.

In a move that also raised eyebrows, Ruto nominated Miano for the position of Attorney-General in an earlier announcement, only to reassign her to the Cabinet in this latest announcement. The President has yet to name nominees for the Attorney General and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands positions.

The reshuffled Cabinet sees some intriguing transitions, such as Davis Chirchir moving from Energy to Roads and Transport, and Aden Duale shifting from Defence to Environment, Climate Change and Forestry.

Kithure Kindiki retains his position at the Interior and National Administration, while Alice Wahome continues to oversee Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development.

New faces in the Cabinet include John Mbadi at the National Treasury, Wycliffe Oparanya in Cooperatives and MSME Development, and Hassan Joho taking charge of Mining and Blue Economy. These appointments suggest an olive branch to opposition figures, with a straight focus on 2027 political realignments.

Some analysts are already predicting this to be a major move by the president, perhaps in trimming his dependency on the Mt. Kenya region.

It will be interesting to see whether this announcement will do anything to cool down the demos, especially now that most of the old ‘baggage’ has returned.

Here’s the full list of the CS nominees now heading to parliament for vetting.

1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Prime Cabinet Secretary – Musalia Mudavadi
2. Ministry of the Interior and National Administration – Kithure Kindiki
3. National Treasury – John Mbadi
4. Ministry of Defence – Soipan Tuya
5. Ministry of Education – Julius Migosi
6. Ministry of Health – Debra Mulongo Barasa
7. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development – Dr Andrew Karanja
8. Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development – Alice Wahome
9. Ministry of Energy and Petroleum – Opiyo Wandayi
10. Ministry of Roads and Transport – Davis Chirchir
11. Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy – Dr Margaret Ndungu
12. Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry – Aden Duale
13. Public Service – Justin Muturi
14. Investments, Trade and Industry – Salim Mvurya
15. Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation – Eric Muga
16. Labour and Social Protection – Alfred Mutua
17. Tourism and Wildlife – Rebecca Miano
18. Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports – Kipchumba Murkomen
19. Mining and Blue Economy – Hassan Joho
20. Cooperatives and MSME Development – Wycliffe Oparanya
21. Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage – Stella Soi Langa’t