Kenya’s under-fire President William Ruto has dismissed with “immediate effect” all his ministers and the attorney-general, following the recent deadly protests that led to the withdrawal of an unpopular tax bill.
The president said
the move came after “reflection, listening to Kenyans, and after holistic
appraisal of my cabinet”.
He has said he will now consult widely in order to set up a
broad-based government. The dissolution of his cabinet does not affect the
deputy president, who can’t legally be fired, and the prime cabinet secretary
who is also the foreign affairs minister. He has not indicated when he will
name a new government.
In the meantime, he
said, he will consult “across different sectors and political formations and
other Kenyans, both in public and private”.
The dramatic move is highly unusual, coming less than two
years after he took office. The last time an entire cabinet was dissolved was
in 2005 when then President Mwai Kibaki did so shortly after losing a
referendum over a new constitution.
Mr Ruto has been
under pressure from Kenyans who have continued holding anti-government protests
and demanding more accountability from government, even though he agreed to
withdraw his controversial tax rises. Some of the protesters have been calling
for the president to go. Last week, Mr Ruto announced a number of austerity
measures across various government agencies. He also ordered a freeze in
proposed pay rises for members of his cabinet and parliament following a public
outcry.
President of Kenya, William Ruto has dissolved his entire cabinet amid widespread protests by citizens against high living costs and taxes.
— ABC News GH (@ABCNewsGH_) July 11, 2024
More to follow…
Cc: @citizentvkenya #ABCNewsGH | #kenya | #protests pic.twitter.com/Gdhty8IWyJ
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