President William Ruto has embarked on a purge mission ejecting orphaned lieutenants of his predecessor retired president Uhuru Kenyatta in key parastatals and state corporations as he galvanises a firm grip and control of his nascent administration.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has since protested the ongoing changes claiming that the current transfers being witnessed are uncalled for especially in the government ministries.
“What him (Ruto) is currently doing on massive sacking and appointing of new state officials is uncalled for… The Principal Secretaries are civil servants who need not to be sacked. It is unfortunate that William Ruto has sent all of them packing and employed 51 new others, majority of whom are close allies who will submit to him,” claimed Raila.
On the inauguration day, Ruto, succeeding Uhuru, appointed the latter to lead the peace efforts on behalf of Kenya, the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa.
Former Head of Public Service Ambassador Francis Muthaura who survived both former president Kibaki and Kenyatta regimes was until he was pushed out served as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) board chairman.
He has been replaced by close Ruto ally and businessman Anthony Mwaura.
Among other beneficiaries of the ongoing clean-up include former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) board chairperson Lewis Nguyai who has since been replaced by former Transport Minister Eng. Michael Kamau, a close Ruto ally.
Rita Achieng’ Akuthe who has been serving as the board chairperson at Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has been replaced by her junior Faith Boinett.
Anthony Muriuki Munyiri has been appointed the new board National Social Security Fund (NSSF) chairperson taking over from former Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) retired General Julius Karangi.
Karangi has been moved to the National Council for Population and Development in the same capacity to replace David Ngugi.
Lawyer Joy Brenda Masinde replaces Vivienne Yeda at the helm of the Kenya Power board while former Nyamira governor Walter Nyabati was picked to steer the Geothermal Development Corporation (GDC) formerly headed by Gerishom Otachi who proceeded to serve at the National Lands Commission (NLC) in the same capacity back in 2019.
Ruto’s ally Mary Wambui is the new board chairperson at the Communications Authority (CA). She succeeded Captain Gilbert Kibe who resigned upon learning of the impending purge.
Immediately the president took over office, he announced the former Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai had proceeded on terminal leave as he named his cabinet.
He granted Mutyambai’s request to proceed on terminal leave to pay more attention to his deteriorating health.
The president had previously publicly disparaged the former IG as “most incompetent IG” in the world.
IG Japhet Koome took over from Mutyambai.
The same happened to the former Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti whom President Ruto announced to have received his resignation letter and subsequently later directed the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to commence recruitment of a new, the incumbent Amin Mohamed.
“The National Police Service Commission has approved the transfer of services for George Kinoti, CBS, former Director, Directorate of Criminal Investigation, from the National Police Service Commission to the Public Service Commission with remuneration and privileges personal to himself, with effect from September 27, 2022, until attainment of mandatory retirement age,” part of the statement by NPSC read.
