President William Ruto presided over the swearing-in of his Principal Secretaries at the State House this morning, December 2, as he celebrates yet another victory over the opposition.
The ceremony was presided over by State House Chief of Staff Felix Koskei.
MPs defied the Minority in Parliament on Thursday and approved all 51 Principal Secretaries, effectively ending the reign of former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Principal Secretaries.
On Tuesday, November 29, the National Assembly rushed to vet and approve 30 PSs after the High Court lifted the injunction that had halted the process.
To avoid paralysis in the various state ministries, Parliament rushed to approve the nominees before the recess. The break will last from December 2, 2022 to February 13, 2023.
The motion to approve the PSs was tabled in Parliament on Thursday, December 1, prompting Azimio leaders to stage a walkout from the chambers after the Speaker overruled their attempts to halt the approval process, led by Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi and Minority Whip Junet Mohamed.
Wandayi and Junet proposed postponing approval so that lawmakers could read the report and make informed decisions.
Junet argued that the rush to confirm the nominees violates the vetting process outlined in the 2010 Constitution.
The process was halted after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the list compiled by the Public Service Commission.
LSK claimed that the nominations were illegal and unconstitutional because they did not meet the two-thirds gender requirement, as well as regional and tribal balance.
Six of Kenyatta’s 44 secretaries have been retained.
Dr Belio Kipsang has returned to the Ministry of Education as PS Basic Education, while Dr Chris Kiptoo has been transferred from Environment and Forestry to National Treasury.
Harry Kimutai is still on the Livestock Development docket, as is Charles Hinga on the Housing and Urban Development docket.
Others who have been retained include Julius Korir, who has been named to the newly created State Department of Cabinet Affairs, and Peter Tum, the former CEO of Kenya Medical Training College.
