Hours before President William Ruto shuffled his Cabinet, a high level delegation of leaders from western Kenya held a meeting to try and shield their most prominent peers from the chopping board.

The Standard has established that, during the meeting where tempers flared, the leaders sought assurances that the seat of the National Assembly Speaker held by Moses Wetang’ula was insulated from advances by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which has been staking a claim on it. 

Multiple sources told The Standard the leaders also wanted the place of the Luhya community in the Kenya Kwanza administration to be solidified.