Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech on Monday revealed how the perception that there were shareholders in the government led to President William Ruto dismissing his entire cabinet.
The shareholder's narrative was brought to life by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in February 2023 when he remarked only sections which voted for Ruto should get rewarded by the administration.
At the time, he remarked that Rift Valley and Mt Kenya had voted for Ruto overwhelmingly and it was only fair that they receive the lion’s share of government appointments.
Koech who himself hails from Rift Valley and is a close ally to President William Ruto revealed that the shareholding statement made some Kenyans feel isolated forcing the Head of State to act.
For inclusivity, the President had to reconstitute the cabinet to give it a national outlook according to the Belgut member of parliament.
“There was this issue of shareholding where people felt like it was only one or two sections of this country that were benefiting from cabinet secretary positions,” Koech remarked.
“The president then promised he would form a broad-based government which has now included a section of members from the Orange Democratic Movement.”
Koech remarked that this was what the country needed. A cabinet that represented the face of the country.
He remarked that before the dismissal of the cabinet, there was growing discontent among opposition legislators who wondered why the regions they represented paid taxes but did not have a representative in the cabinet which is the country’s top decision-making organ.
“It was necessary for the President to broaden his government, expand the base so that he gets to understand what happens in every part of this country,” Koech explained.
A regionally balanced cabinet was one of the issues raised by anti-government protestors according to the parliamentarian.
In his shareholding statement, Gachagua claimed that the government was a company with the regions that voted overwhelmingly for the Head of State being the primary equity owners.
On Sunday, July 29, 2024, Gachagua revealed that he still held that belief he articulated on February 2023.
“I have a weakness for loving my people from the Mt Kenya region. If you have a problem please forgive me,” he confessed.
