Anxiety, intense lobbying as Ruto's PS reshuffle looms

Anxiety has gripped government officials and political operatives over the looming reshuffle of Principal Secretaries by President William Ruto.

The Standard has established a majority of the 51 PSs are sitting on the edge of their seats amid intense lobbying by the various political formations for the plum government jobs.

The President is expected to make changes to the slots of PSs  after receiving a list of 109 applicants shortlisted for the jobs. 

This comes amid intense lobbying for slots, with ODM leader Raila Odinga’s allies optimistic about strengthening their presence in government through additional appointments.

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Among the notable Raila allies shortlisted are former Nyeri Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu, former Chief Administrative Secretary David Osiany and ODM blogger Gabriel Oguda.

Veteran health practitioner Patrick Amoth, who currently serves as the Director General for Health, has also been shortlisted. 

ODM insiders claim the party is hoping to grab a few slots as part of their broader agreement to build support for President Ruto’s regime. In the last Cabinet reshuffle, Raila’s men grabbed key ministries, including the powerful Treasury through the appointment of former party chairman John Mbadi.

On the flip side, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s allies are bracing for a life in the cold and are believed to be among the biggest casualties in the pending reshuffle.

Yesterday, a senior ODM official told Sunday Standard that some of the current PSs had reached out to the party informally to lobby for support for their retention.

“Stakes are high but the President will have the final say on who he wants to work with. At the end of the day, those shortlisted and aligned to us are all experts that can serve him well,” said the official.

Observers, too, believe the President is likely to retain only his best-performing PSs and those he selected to support his administration and have helped him.

Political analyst Barrack Muluka opines that President Ruto is going to implement the Policy of Appeasement where he is expected to appease Raila for his political survival by rewarding more of his people.

“What we are going to witness is a Policy of Appeasement, Ruto is going to continue conceding to Raila because he feels threatened by him and he is going to accommodate more of his people for his continuing political survival. If he attempts to slide, he knows things are over for him and his government will automatically collapse by ODM pulling a string,” said Dr Muluka.

Muluka added that the Kenya Kwanza alliance is expected to weaken and Gachagua’s allies are bound to be the biggest casualties considering the President no longer needs much support from the Central region.

“Kenya Kwanza coalition will not be the same as it used to be during its formation. The President needs ODM’s support more than Gachagua’s support from Mt Kenya because he has already lost the support and therefore his allies are going to be thrown under the bus,” he said.

In Nyanza, a region that is hoping for more slots in government courtesy of the soft handshake between the President and Raila, it is believed some of the current PSs will retain their seats.

Among them is Interior PS Raymond Omollo, a soft-spoken administrator who has been a key pillar of the President’s political and administrative goals in the country.

In Nyanza, he has been one of the key allies driving the Kenya Kwanza agenda to help entrench the President’s support in a region where public support for government is largely influenced by Raila’s political stand.

Yesterday, lawyer and political pundit Joshua Nyamori claimed he believed the President would retain his loyal and hardworking footsoldiers.

“They have performed at the national level and at the local level. PS Omollo, for example, has played a key role in silencing banditry, the institutionalization of the village elders, and general national coordination,” said Nyamori.

In Western, the five PSs are currently sitting in a state of uncertainty even as leaders, led by Kakamega Governor Fernades Barasa, lobby for more slots.

“Kakamega County has high stakes in the broad-based government and it is fully behind President Ruto,” said Barasa.

Barasa added that the county has the most learned and competent people.

Additional reporting by Benard Lusigi