On Wednesday, July 24, Kenyan President William Ruto appointed four ministers from the main opposition party in an effort to create a broad-based government.
Hassan Joho was nominated as Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs; Wycliffe Oparanya was designated as Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives; John Mbadi was appointed to the National Treasury Ministry; and Opiyo Wandayi was named to the Energy Ministry.
These four politicians, who are close allies of Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, were part of a group of 10 nominees. This move comes despite a warning from Odinga himself.
Rt Hon @RailaOdinga Warns @TheODMparty Members Against Joining Ruto Regime. pic.twitter.com/odjW5coAKR
— Azimio TV (@AzimioTv) July 23, 2024
In the previous week, President Ruto retained six former Cabinet ministers in his first batch of appointments.
Social media protests erupted, with some accusing the opposition of treason and alleging a secret deal was made. The nominees still require approval from Parliament.
Weeks of unrest in East Africa’s economic hub have resulted in dozens of deaths, the dismissal of most Cabinet members, and calls for Ruto’s resignation. Protests began in response to a proposed bill to increase taxes, which has been met with resistance from many Kenyans struggling with rising.