This Is Why Musalia Mudavadi Was Spared In Ruto’s Cabinet

On Thursday, July 11, President William Ruto spared Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in a government reshuffle intended to ensure continuity despite strained relations with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Sources revealed that President Ruto's decision to retain Mr. Mudavadi highlights his confidence in him amid the challenges facing the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Mr. Mudavadi, who chairs the National Development Implementation Committee comprising all PSs and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, will continue to coordinate the affairs of the ministries until “the broad-based Cabinet” is announced.

State House, Nairobi. https://t.co/EfY0waXEm3

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— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 11, 2024

The Nation was reliably informed that Mr. Gachagua “cannot be relied on to steer the ship and that’s why Mudavadi, with vast experience in Executive affairs, was tapped to coordinate the PSs”.

Since President Ruto took office, Mr. Mudavadi has been on an upward trajectory. In October last year, the President assigned him the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs docket, which secured him a position in the National Security Council.

The council includes the President, the Deputy President, and the Cabinet Secretaries for Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Internal Security. Other members are the Attorney-General, the Chief of the Defence Forces, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Service, and the Inspector-General of Police.

Mr. Mudavadi entered the country's political arena at a young age, becoming the youngest Cabinet Minister at 29 in 1989.

As Prime Cabinet Secretary, he has cultivated an image as a conciliatory leader and is regarded as the voice of reason within the Kenya Kwanza administration. Unlike many political party leaders who were reluctant to relinquish their party posts after being appointed to various state positions, Mr. Mudavadi resigned as the leader of the Amani National Congress.

Some political analysts have tipped Mr Mudavadi as a possible replacement for Mr. Gachagua in the 2027 election. But in a recent interview, he told the Nation: “Speculating about future elections is a distraction from the critical work we must do today.”