The new faces in cabinet as Uhuru sacks suspended ministers

Politics and policy

President Uhuru Kenyatta. PHOTO | FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com

President Uhuru Kenyatta has named a 20 member cabinet that has seen three politicians make it to government.

The President has sacked all the five suspended cabinet secretaries - Charity Ngilu, Michael Kamau, Davis Chirchir, Felix Koskei and Kazungu Kambi, who are facing corruption allegations and charges.

Mr Kenyatta has named Kericho Senator Charles Keter as cabinet secretary for Energy and Petroleum, with Malindi MP Dan Kazungu and former Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri nominated to the Mining and Devolution dockets respectively.

Mr Kazungu becomes the second opposition MP to be poached by President Kenyatta, setting up a by-election at the Coast where the Jubilee Party has fewer seats compared to the Opposition.

Mr Kenyatta appointed former Kajiado Central MP Joseph Nkiassery to the cabinet mid this year.

Mr Kenyatta also named 46 principal secretaries expending the number from 26 in changes that have seen a number of former and serving corporate executives join government.

These include Nairobi Hospital CEO Cleopas Mailu who has replaced James Macharia as the cabinet secretary for Health and Joe Mucheru, a former Google executive, who takes the ICT docket.

Sammy Itemere, a former CEO of Equatorial Bank, has been tapped as principal secretary Broadcasting and Telecommunication, while Betty Maina has been named the principal secretary East Africa Community.