The Fired; Ruto Sacks 21 Cabinet Secretaries

Hello and welcome to another weekly episode of 'Spill The Tea' where right now, your fellow job seeker is a former Cabinet Secretary.

Earlier this week, President William Ruto and Raila Odinga reunited during the signing of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Bill, but how did the latter's cronies take this perceived new form of dialogue?

Plus, I have something brutal for the big media houses...make sure you read till the end.

On Episode 19:

1. GO HOME- Ruto Tells All Cabinet Secretaries
2. Ruto-Gen Z Talks, Raila Says ‘Yes’
3. MP Farah Maalim's Insensitive Remarks, A Ban & A No-Show
4. Journalists For Gen Zs + EDITORIAL

• Join our fast-growing community of over 7,000 subscribers and get a recap of the week's top stories by subscribing here
• Our WhatsApp channel is currently live. Follow us here now!
• We noticed that LinkedIn has made some changes to how it is sending newsletters via email. Previously, the newsletter would display once you opened the mail, but for the new changes, you have to click on the ‘view entire message’ to access the newsletter.
• Housekeeping: We made some minor changes to the cover image and tweaked one bit of colour. Hope you like it...let us know in the comments below

GO HOME- Ruto Tells All Cabinet Secretaries

For the first time since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, President William Ruto dismissed his whole Cabinet, except one, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, who doubles up as the Foreign Affairs CS. Also retained is Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Ruto, who addressed the nation at State House on Thursday, July 11, revealed that the drastic move came following pressure from Kenyans, moreso during the nationwide demonstrations.

The Head of State also cited a holistic appraisal of his Cabinet as the reason for this radical decision.

"Upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my Cabinet and its achievements and challenges, I have, in line with the powers given to me by Article 152(1) and 152(5)(b) of the Constitution and Section 12 of the Office of the Attorney-General Act, decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General from the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs," he announced.

"I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent and irreversible, implementation of radical programmes to deal with the burden of debt, raising domestic resources, expanding job opportunities, eliminate wastage and unnecessary duplication of a multiplicity of government agencies and slay the dragon of corruption consequently making the government lean, inexpensive, effective and efficient."

Despite outlining several achievements made by his government, Ruto acknowledged that Kenyans were displeased with the performance of his government, thus sending home all CSs, including Attorney General, Justin Muturi.

Below is the last photo President Ruto took with his Cabinet. The two men flanking him are the ones who remain.

Immediately after, all the profiles of the former government officials were deleted from the State House website.

Who Are The Sacked Cabinet Secretaries?

1. Rebecca Miano - Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.
2. Kithure Kindiki - Interior and National Administration
3. Alice Wahome - Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Developments
4. Susan Nakhumicha - Ministry of Health
5. Peninah Malonza - Ministry of East African Community, The ASALs and Regional Developments.
6. Alfred Mutua - Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife
7. Moses Kuria - Ministry of Public Service Performance, and Delivery Management.
8. Aisha Jumwa - Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage
9. Njuguna Ndung’u - National Treasury and Planning
10. Aden Duale - Defence
11. Rebecca Miano - Investments, Trade & Industry
12. Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen - Roads and Transport
13. Rosalinda Soipan Tuya - Environment and Forestry
14. Zachariah Mwangi Njeru - Water, Sanitation & Irrigation
15. Mithika Linturi - Agriculture and Livestock Development
16. Ezekiel Machogu - Education
17. Salim Mvurya - Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs
18. Eliud Owalo - Information, Communications and the Digital Economy
19. Simon Chelugui - Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development
20. Ababu Namwamba - Youth Affairs and Sports
21. Florence Bore: Labour and Social Protection.

What Happens Next?

President Ruto instructed his Principal Secretaries to continue running the government's operations, adding that the PSs and other government officials would undertake ministry operations.

"During this process, the operations of government will continue uninterrupted under the guidance of Principal Secretaries and other relevant officials," he announced, adding "I will be announcing additional measures and steps in due course."

It is however worth noting that there are 51 Principal Secretaries, more than twice the number of their (now former) Cabinet counterparts.

Read also: List Of Cabinet Secretaries Fired By Ruto & Principal Secretaries Taking Over For Now

Has Any Kenyan President Dissolved a Whole Cabinet Before?

As much as this is a rare occurrence and as much as this is a move that might tone down the rage of the country's Gen Zs who had threatened more dire action, this is not the first time in Kenya's history that a sitting President has disbanded his entire Cabinet.

However, this is the first time this has happened in 19 years. You'd have to go back to 2005 when the late former President Mwai Kibaki sacked his entire Cabinet, though this came days after a national referendum.

In the 2005 referendum, over 3.5 million Kenyans rejected the draft constitution that Kibaki had strongly supported. On November 23, he took action, and just like Ruto, Kibaki spared Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.

"Following the results of the referendum, it has become necessary for me, as the President of the Republic, to re-organize my Government to make it more cohesive and better able to serve the people of Kenya," Kibaki said then.

"Accordingly, in accordance with the powers conferred upon me under the Constitution of Kenya, I have directed that the offices of all Ministers and all Assistant Ministers become vacant. Consequently, the occupants of the said offices cease to hold their respective offices with immediate effect."

Ruto's move to dissolve the Cabinet is a landmark event in the country's history. This now allows him to appoint a new team that has the right competence and know-how to deliver on his manifesto at the end of his term.

It is yet to be known if he will consider re-hiring some of the sacked Cabinet Secretaries.

Sample Reactions From CSs

Kipchumba Murkomen

It has been my greatest privilege and honour to serve my country as a Cabinet Secretary in charge of Roads & Transport. Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity.

Alfred Mutua

I sincerely thank His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto for the confidence he demonstrated by entrusting me with the role of Cabinet Secretary in his government.

During my tenure, I have witnessed firsthand President Ruto's genuine commitment to the rapid transformation of our country. His vision and dedication to progress are clear and unwavering.

Ababu Namwamba

It is a special honour, privilege and blessing to serve one's nation, more so in Cabinet, the country's highest policy-making organ. I thank His Excellency President William Ruto for the trust and confidence that informed my appointment to serve in the Cabinet for the second time in my public service life. God bless Kenya and grant the President grace and wisdom to navigate our country into a safe harbour.

Mithika Linturi

I’m profoundly thankful to H.E. President William Ruto for the trust and confidence he placed in me by appointing me as the CS for Agriculture & Livestock Development. Your decision to entrust me with this significant responsibility is both a privilege & a humbling experience.

Eliud Owalo

“I thank H.E. President Dr. William Samoei Ruto for granting me the opportunity to serve my Country as Cabinet Secretary. I owe him a great debt of gratitude for the same,” he stated.

Soipan Tuya

“Anything that paves the way for the best interest of our Nation, at this point in time, is preeminent. I most sincerely thank H.E President William Ruto for the privilege, honour and opportunity to serve my country at the helm of the Environment, Climate Change and Forestry docket, for the last 21 months. My heart is full of gratitude”

Ruto-Gen Z Talks, Raila Says ‘Yes’

Meanwhile, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi...

On Tuesday, July 9, opposition leader, Raila Odinga, witnessed President Ruto sign the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Bill into law...the matter of IEBC seeing the duo being at loggerheads since the 2022 general elections.

The IEBC Bill: The Bill was initially introduced and passed in the National Assembly in May. It was later sent to the Senate which subsequently passed it on June 11. The amendments were done on June 20.

• The new law gives a roadmap to the formation of the IEBC. The IEBC selection panel will now consist of nine persons. 2 nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission, 3 by the political parties liaison committee, 1 will represent the Law Society of Kenya and 1 will represent the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICAK). The Inter-religious council will front two people.
• The new provisions have emphasized the need to consider a two-thirds gender quota in the constitution of the selection panel.

Later, the two held a press conference where President Ruto announced the commencement of the National Multi-Sectoral Forum (NMSF) set to engage with all stakeholders in addressing the concerns raised by the youth. The forum will begin from Monday, July 15, all the way to Saturday, July 20.

Ruto called on representatives from various sectors of the country including religious groups, civil societies, political parties and even professional groups to submit their recommendations.

What Ruto Said: "This will be a six-day forum and will propose the way forward for the country. In the interest that we live within our means, all participants will bear their costs of attendance," Ruto stated.

The Head of State further asked Parliament to expedite the Conflict of Interest Bill 2023 for it to be passed promptly arguing that it would present a chance to hold everyone accountable over corruption.

Raila's Stance

The formation of the NMSF received the backing of Raila, who stated that he approved the formation of the multi-sectoral forum following a consultative meeting with the Head of State.

He encouraged Kenyans from different sectors including the youth to utilize the opportunity and raise their grievances for a lasting solution to be reached.

“I can confirm that we have had consultations and after the consultations, we have agreed that a dialogue is the way forward out of the crisis that we have had as a country,” Raila stated.

“We have agreed we give people an opportunity to be heard, express themselves and come out with the grievances that are ailing our country today so that a lasting solution can be found."

Siding with Ruto, the former Prime Minister agreed that everybody would bear their costs for coming to the forum.

The Reactions

While the attendees and high-ranking officials celebrated the move, outside and on social media, a multitude of Kenyans from different sectors appeared apprehensive over the perceived dialogue and outcomes. For instance:

• Raila's son Raila Odinga Jr broke his silence with a social media post seemingly distancing himself from his father's political move. "Everybody is an individual, please! Even people with the same exact names," he poignantly stated
• Other Kenyans, especially Gen Z and millennials, however, disavowed the dialogue to be held arguing that all they needed from the government was the delivery of their mandate.
• "Dialogue tena? Si ata last year kulikuwa na dialogue?... We cannot use an old map to navigate new territory!" wondered Pauline Njoroge.
• "The dialogue is between two individuals: William Ruto and Raila Odinga. We refuse to be controlled by selfish politicians who only value their stomachs. Gen Zs and Millennials are now taking the bull by the horns," lamented Cornelius Ronoh.
• "We told Raila Odinga to rest and let us handle our own matters. We are not going to dialogue with President William Ruto. We know how it ends and Baba is a clear example of how dialogue never works!" Added another.
• NARC- Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua penned a series of statements on X, one notable one read "Dialogue can only be meaningful if the players have good faith and are guided by the best interests of the people. This is a trap period."

Now all eyes are on the forum next week to fulfill the promises.

Of note: Raila, in response to rumours of a handshake in the offing, wrote on X that "Nimeambiwa na hawa viongozi kwamba mumesema hamtaki handshake. Ujumbe umefika (These leaders have told me that you don't want a handshake. I have received your message.)"

MP Farah Maalim's Insensitive Remarks, A Ban & A No-Show

It's one thing for a Member of Parliament to utter insensitive remarks asking a whole President to deal with Gen Z protesters. But not to show up for summons on those remarks?

How It Began

A viral clip emerged capturing Daadab Member of Parliament Farah Maalim allegedly telling President Ruto to rein in Gen Z protesters who have been exercising their constitutional rights in opposition to the Finance Bill 2024.

The translated clip showed Maalim claiming sensationally that if he were the Head of State, he would never allow Gen Z to stage protests in the first place.

"This was an attempted coup, a clear attempted coup. Children of wealthy business owners, wealthy parents and kids raised on ill-gotten wealth, 80% from one tribe were dropped off in downtown and told to riot and take over State House and Parliament buildings," he said.

Maalim blatantly noted that if he reigned over the nation he would have wiped them out in their thousands.

"God forbid if I was president I would have slaughtered them, 5,000 of them daily. Serious, there is no two ways about it," he said.

However, the lawmaker in defence of the video that went viral, claimed that the video was manipulated as a political weapon to be used against him.

Backing up his claims, Maalim further accused unidentified people from Somalia of digitally altering the clip in response to chiming in on the politics of Somalia.

“The video making the rounds has been edited. It's all cutting and pasting, taking a word from here and putting it together.

“It is Somalis who basically would do that, for other reasons, because I also weighed in on the politics of Somalia,” the Wiper Party elected legislator claimed during an interview with KTN News.

The Reaction

Amidst the uproar, KTN News anchor, Ken Mijungu, on Tuesday, July 9 announced that Maalim was banned from being hosted on his show permanently.

"A member of Parliament is on camera saying if he was the president the day demonstrators breached parliament he would have killed 5,000 of them!

"A LAWMAKER said this! A SEASONED Legislator. As a patriotic Kenyan, I will never host him on my show again! Never," he wrote on X.

Despite Maalim's defence, the seasoned journalist vowed not to invite the legislator to the KTN studios within the Standard Group Limited based on Mombasa Road. It is worth noting that this is Mijungu's personal reference, with Standard Group reserving the right to invite the legislator to interviews and talk shows.

Then, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) summoned Maalim over the remarks, instructing him to appear before the commission on Thursday, July 11 at 11.00 am at its offices on the 17th Floor, Britam Tower, Hospital Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi.

Did He Show Up At NCIC?

No. Maalim's failure to appear before the NCIC on the scheduled date has only added fuel to the fire.

However, NCIC chairperson Samuel Kobia confirmed that the MP requested to reschedule his appearance to Monday, July 15.

His Party Acts

The Wiper Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to kick out Maalim. The Kalonzo Musyoka-led party distanced itself from the lawmaker's remarks in which he was captured vowing that he would have taken some of the most drastic and punitive measures against the protesters, including mass killings because their actions amounted to a coup attempt.

The party also called for the MP, who is also the deputy party leader, to be removed from all Parliament committees. Its National Delegates Convention (NDC) is set to make a decision on the NEC’s recommendations.

Maalim was also flagged among other Wiper lawmakers for going against the party decision in the controversial Finance Bill, 2024 vote when it came on the floor of the House, by voting 'Yes' in favour of the Bill.

“On the conduct of party members, first, we believe strongly in the fidelity of political parties, their mission, vision and identity. It is in the public domain that three of our members, namely, Farah Maalim – MP for Dadaab, Doris Donya Toto - Kisii Women Rep, John Okano Bwire – MP for Taveta and Abubakar Ahmed - Nominated MP, have repeatedly gone against the party position,” the party's statement read in part.

“Their latest transgression was voting 'Yes' and Abstaining – in the case of Donya - for the now withdrawn Finance Bill, 2024. The four received invitations to attend today’s NEC meeting. They all failed to attend nor have offered their apologies. Their cases have been referred to the Party’s Disciplinary Committee.”

This may also put Maalim at risk of being recalled as a lawmaker, among MPs targeted for recalls for ignoring the plight of Kenyans regarding the Finance Bill 2024. Should he be recalled, fresh elections will be held for an individual to take his place.

Journalists For Gen Zs + EDITORIAL

With the rise of the Generation Z group of Kenyans who have been leading the charge in demanding accountability from President Ruto's government, there has been however an underreporting of the young people of our country across media platforms for a while...until now.

On Monday, July 8, the Kenya Media Sector Working Group (KMSWG) announced its bid to enhance coverage of what has been viewed as a critical segment of Kenya's vibrant society through various media platforms, both mainstream and digital.

According to a press statement sent to us, the group is mulling plans to set up a platform where Gen Zs, among all Kenyans, will engage on how best to shape the country, moving forward.

"We will shortly announce a comprehensive plan to develop a platform where Kenyans including Gen-Zs will engage on critical issues affecting the nation," the statement read in part.

I provided my very honest opinion on the matter. Read below:

My point of interest is the following quote: "We will shortly announce a comprehensive plan to develop a platform where Kenyans including Gen-Zs will engage on critical issues affecting the nation."

Let's go down further to what I reported on Monday, July 8; "However, it is yet to be determined if the platform will operate through both mainstream and digital media platforms as well as social media and whether established media channels, upcoming ones, or both, will be considered in its development."

What KMSWG needs to answer in their comprehensive plan to develop the platform is what is there above...will the platform be hosted on social media, like X Spaces, Facebook...or TikTok, or will media platforms be considered?

The protests that were started on Tuesday, June 18 brought Gen Z to the national limelight for the very first time. Thousands of Kenyans, mainly the youth (Millennials and Gen Z), took to the streets of Nairobi to protest against the 2024 Finance Bill, showcasing the real power of the biggest population demographic in the whole country.

You're talking about the very same group that forms our largest audience across our website and our social media accounts, and the numbers show. Photos and short videos covering the protests alone were shared across all social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram...and for the first time, baddies suspended breaking men's necks and protested against the Finance Bill.

June 20 and then June 25 (which I attended), and the Finance Bill was dropped. The power of Kenya's youth worked to the point that political figures who dismissed their demands for action ate their words. President Ruto then held more pressers at State House than possibly any other Head of State in Kenya, with radical changes, including the big one you began to read here.

Back to that 'platform'. Social media has become the main environment for millennials and Gen Z and while KMSWG might be on to something proper, there's the question of who should host/talk about that platform to the masses.

For more than a decade, mainstream media and the leading digital media platforms have been ruling the media space, but the turbulent times, especially among the former, have led to a decline in advertising revenue and ultimately, drastic decisions such as doing away with departments and firing journalists...hug anyone you see in media.

Freezing hirings or opting not to advertise job openings (if so, they come with weird requirements that show how your numbers on social media are like your CV) has made established journalists set up their own media platforms, mostly digital. The space has become so saturated...like owning a boda boda...that people still don't believe me when I tell them that I run Viral Tea in a tough environment, competing against more than 5,000-10,000 news websites in Kenya.

Despite being an upcoming digital media house, Viral Tea, a rapidly rising platform in the 2020s decade, has told numerous stories of Gen Zs making their mark in whatever sector in the country, from entrepreneurship to the media space itself while building a platform that caters to the demands of Gen Zs and millennials- our biggest audience. So far, I'm proud that we've established a connection with the biggest digital media platform in the country, but it doesn't stop there.

I'd like to come out and say that it is time for upcoming digital media platforms to take over, be empowered more and for the big boys to step aside for once. They are already big platforms, so it would be insane for them to keep being empowered while the upcoming ones are left to waste away.

I'm saying that if KMSWG chooses the media in terms of what they want to do with the platform, they should first come to the newcomers like Viral Tea to get the word out there. First of all, we are the fastest-growing Kenyan digital media house on LinkedIn, doubling to more than 20,000 followers...three years after beginning in 2021...covering content that at times you will get nowhere else.

There is a saying that when you empower your underperforming employees at work, you'll get the best out of them compared to giving the star performers more work which brings devastating results; you lose your best performers AND your underperformers. That's the same case here.

As a matter of fact, Kenyans deserve to pay more attention to the upcoming digital news and media platforms, not just because that's where the real juice is. I have seen Kenyan media being accused of being biased, and sleeping with the ruling political class among others...but this is because they have been so used to consuming content from leading platforms and ignoring the rest...others turn to bloggers who have a large following and think they're 'credible'.

Just because the upcoming media platforms are small doesn't mean they don't have their own policies. Yes, we check each and EVERY single pitch that comes our way, verify and use it in our stories or social media content...even though we are independent, we prize credibility as our 'main bae'. Truth is as staple as a plate of ugali in this country and just a note; we do not consider pitches on anything that we find to be defamatory. I gave you those tips for free today lol.

A good way to empower the upcoming digital media platforms is through collaborations/partnerships. To quote my fellow digital media friend Oliver Mathenge in one of his newsletters:

There will be a wave of consolidation in Kenyan media, as smaller publications team up or merge to take on bigger competitors. While there may be employment losses as a result of this, there may also be chances for creative cross-platform content development and collaboration.

In one of my comments, I indicated that Kenyan media houses have shown how allergic they are to collaborations or partnerships on a consistent basis, hence the only hope for such is within the smaller publications. And no, the Presidential Debates series is not enough.

More than just teaming up, it's time for the big companies in other sectors to give more attention to the smaller publications and for stakeholders to invest in them so that they can grow their craft as well as hire and train the upcoming Gen Z journalists to not just align them with modern office and work culture but to also adapt to the fast-paced news environment which we have seen of late is full of content, some of which is masked in misinformation to the point of catching even the best of us off-guard.

Should anything unfortunate happen to the big media houses and channels, as we almost saw with KTN News on June 25, it will be those upcoming publications that will be standing, some of which will have strengthened themselves in terms of accuracy, credibility and my favourite one...creativity mixed with professionalism. Imagine taking the humour of Justine Wanda and mixing it up with the professionalism and knowledge of the likes of Linus Kaikai, and Sam Gituku among others. That's your homework...tell us your results!

Allowing the leading media houses to run away with all the fame...and all the big money would force the upcoming ones to fold/shut down because of lack of funds to sustain their operations...and that clips the democratization of the media, hence we as the media cannot hold the government of the day, celebrity or any other newsmaker to account in a no-holds-barred way...how the Gen Z are doing it and how they want the media to do it today...truthfully and objectively.

Here are other stories we kept hot for you this week:

1. An unfortunate week of deaths from Bishop Allan Kiuna, the founder and preacher of Jubilee Christian Church (JCC) to High Court Judge David Majanja. May they Rest In Peace (RIP) and may God comfort their families as they go through this difficult time.
2. Before that 'purge', Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei directed that all Cabinet Secretaries (CS) select at least one advisor to be retained, thus paving the way for the rest to be fired. Following the directive, the number of advisors assigned to each Cabinet Secretary was revised from two to one.
3. Roots Party Leader George Luchiri Wajackoyah’s 2022 presidential running mate Justina Wamae on Monday, July 8 turned down her appointment by President William Ruto as part of a 20-member task force to address human resources for health in the country as she was on maternity leave which prevented her from working to the best of her abilities in the task force.
4. Three activists, among them popular Nairobi-based chips mwitu vendor, Bevalyne Kwamboka, had demanded that former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba reveal the full details regarding the delegation of non-athletes accompanying the official Kenyan delegation to the prestigious event. Later, word went around that Kenyans in France swore to assist in deporting individuals back home following revelations that the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) had extended an invitation to 11 Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to the Olympics as part of the cheering squad.
5. The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) on Tuesday announced the immediate reinstatement of Vincent Chepkwony, a private security officer who demonstrated exceptional bravery during the recent protests at a popular restaurant at Kimathi Street, Nairobi after being recorded on camera opening the doors of the restaurant to protestors at the height of the Anti-Finance Bill protests.
6. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Wednesday, July 10 revealed shocking statistics regarding the death toll among Kenyans working in the Gulf States since 2002. Across the Gulf States, 316 Kenyans have lost their lives over the past 12 years, 166 of them from Saudi Arabia alone!
7. Based on 4, Kenyan TikTok star, radio host and influencer, Azziad Nasenya on Thursday, June 11 denounced reports that she is part of the delegation of non-athletes accompanying the official Kenyan delegation to Paris, France for the 2024 Olympic Games.

News Graphic Of The Week

Did you see this newsletter in your email or has it been forwarded to you? Follow us on LinkedIn at Viral Tea Ke and click here to access our other social media platforms.

Visit our website: www.viraltea.co.ke

If you enjoyed this newsletter, share it widely with your friends.