Ruto Hints At Recalling 2 Former CSs, One Of Whom From Uhuru Govt

President William Ruto has revealed that he is in talks with former Cabinet Secretaries Peter Munya and Mithika Linturi regarding a return to the government. Munya notably served in former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration while Linturi served in the current government.

Ruto spoke on the matter on Wednesday, April 2, in Meru, during his ongoing Mt Kenya development tour, where he responded to a request by Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma, who begged Ruto to pick the two leaders for undisclosed roles in his government.

“There are senior leaders here in Meru, who are even members of the Njuri Ncheke, that we respect very much. One is Peter Munya, and the other is your very good friend, Francis Mithika Linturi. In that broad-based government, the one that has all our friends, leaders across the country, Mithika Linturi and Peter Munya, should enter in there,” Mutuma expressed.

The Head of State called on the residents of Meru to have patience while confirming that discussions were already underway with the two leaders.

A photo collage of Peter Munya and former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi (right). /NAIROBI NEWS.KBC

“He (Governor Mutuma) has explained to me that there are two leaders from this region: Peter Munya and my friend Mithika Linturi. These two leaders are already in talks with me, and we have a plan. Relax, everything is in order,” Ruto replied.

The two leaders have been sidelined from government for different reasons, but Ruto, without revealing much, hinted at their possible return to his administration.

Munya, the leader of the Party of National Unity (PNU), was a key figure in the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition, which lost to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance in the 2022 general elections. However, his political fortunes took another hit following the handshake between Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, which saw Raila’s allies absorbed into the government.

Despite speculation that Munya could benefit from this deal, no official appointment materialized, leaving him without a government role. Nonetheless, during his tenure, Munya prioritized revitalizing the dairy sector, instructing the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) to raise milk prices from Ksh25 to Ksh33 per litre. This followed a presidential directive allocating Ksh500 million to purchase surplus milk from farmers.

In the tea industry, he implemented regulations to improve transparency and accountability within the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). As a result, payments to tea farmers surged by 44.6%, increasing from Ksh34.71 per kilo of green leaf in 2021 to Ksh50.18 in 2022.

Munya, who served as Meru’s first governor, previously held several Cabinet positions under former President Uhuru Kenyatta. From January 2018 to July 2019, he was the CS for the East African Community and Northern Corridor Development, before being moved to the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives from July 2019 to January 2020. His tenure in Uhuru’s government concluded as CS for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives, a position he held from January 2020 to October 2022.

Meanwhile, Linturi was removed from his role as Agriculture CS following Ruto’s decision to dissolve the Cabinet after the Gen Z-led July protests. Still, Linturi focused on modernizing agriculture and strengthening food security.

In January 2024, he introduced five solar-powered mobile grain dryers in Nakuru County to minimize post-harvest losses and dispatched 2,300 bags of subsidized fertilizer to farmers. Earlier, in June 2023, he launched the Program to Build Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security (BREFONS) in Baringo County.

Prior to his dismissal, Linturi’s tenure had been marred by controversy, particularly a major fertilizer scandal, which significantly damaged both his reputation and that of Ruto’s administration. Despite his exit from government, Linturi has remained politically active, pledging loyalty to the current administration, reportedly preparing for a gubernatorial race, and offering strategic counsel to key political figures.

If Ruto manages to recall Munya to the government, it will be another instance of Uhuru's key allies joining the Kenya Kwanza administration, many linking this to President Ruto meeting Uhuru at the latter's Gatundu home in an occurrence that rattled Kenya's political scene.