President Ruto Sacks Entire Cabinet, Except One, as Kenyans Continue to Demand More

President William Ruto of Kenya has sacked all his cabinet members except his foreign minister following continued demonstrations in the East African nation.

The President announced his decision in a televised broadcast on Thursday, July 11, 2024, adding that additional measures will follow later.

“I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations and with other Kenyans, both in public and private, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government,” Ruto said.

The dissolution of his cabinet comes less than a week after he halted proposed pay increases for members of his cabinet and parliament.

The ongoing protests in Kenya, largely led by youths, began after the country’s parliament passed a controversial finance bill that would have caused a hike in taxes.

Protesters are making new demands, including a call for President Ruto to resign.

While the bill has since been withdrawn, Kenyans are making fresh demands, including the resignation of the President.

Amina Wako, the editorial lead at Eastleigh Voice, one of Kenya’s news platforms, told Neusroom that withdrawing the bill would not end the protests.

“As a country, we have a lot of issues that we want addressed. So I am sure this is not the end; the Finance Bill was just one of the issues that needed immediate intervention,” she said.

She continued, “We have issues from unemployment, corruption, and the Land Amendment Bill to unconstitutional offices like CAS’s/office of spouses (first lady, second lady, and wife of the prime secretary), which are all being funded by taxpayers.”

So far, at least 39 people have been killed since the protests began, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). However, President Ruto puts the figure at 19.