President Ruto nominates opposition members to cabinet amid protests

Kenya’s President William Ruto has nominated four opposition members to his new “broad-based” cabinet in a move aimed at addressing nationwide protests which have plagued the country for up to six weeks.

Ruto’s new cabinet nominees include John Mbadi Ngo’ongo, a key ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga, as the pick for finance minister. The nominations come in the wake of six weeks of protests that forced the President to withdraw $2.7 billion in proposed tax hikes on Kenyans.

Despite this concession, protests have persisted, with young demonstrators expressing opposition to a unity government. They argue that such deals only serve to co-opt opposition leaders with positions and perks, leaving the general populace with no tangible benefits.

Coalition allies of Odinga’s party had previously stated they would not participate in a unity government. On Sunday, Odinga demanded “Justice for victims of police brutalisation” during the Nairobi protests on June 25.

The protests, which have resulted in over 50 deaths, represent the most significant crisis of the president’s two-year tenure. Many activists are now calling for his resignation.

William Ruto’s calls for a national dialogue and an end to protests

In addition to the opposition members, the President has reinstated five members of the cabinet he dismissed earlier this month in response to protesters’ demands. Last week, he announced 11 nominations, six of whom were retained from the previous cabinet. Details about one of the nominees remain unclear, and Ruto has promised to announce additional nominees soon.

“I commend the leadership of diverse organisations for their encouraging response to my outreach to consult on forming a broad-based government,” Ruto said in an address from his official residence. He also announced plans to propose amendments to anti-corruption and public procurement laws.

The protests, largely organised online, have mobilised Kenyans across ethnic and regional lines. Demonstrators have condemned the entire political class as corrupt and are calling for extensive reforms to tackle graft and poor governance.

Ruto vowed to stop “looters” and “killers” who he said “risk destroying our country”. “We want a peaceful, stable nation. And our issues are resolved using democratic means.”