Why Uhuru has Changed his Circle of Power

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday announced that he had accepted the resignation of Attorney General Githu Muigai and appointed Justice Paul Kariuki to replace him.

He also proposed Ken Ogeto to be the new Solicitor-General in place of Njee Muturi who was named deputy chief of staff.

According to a source at State House, Kenyatta wanted a fresh start, especially on his advisers.

[caption caption="Justice Paul Kihara"][/caption]

“With this re-organisation, President Kenyatta wanted to start with a clean slate on the people around him, and especially his advisers,” stated the source.

This new team alongside Interior CS Fred Matiang'i will be working closely with the President on sensitive matters and are said to be good friends with him.

In 2012 Justice Kariuki was elevated to the Court of Appeal and was later elected the President of the Court, beating his sole opponent, Justice David Maraga, after two rounds of voting.

He is considered a smart legal mind and often has a firm stand on issues.

Ogeto is also a close friend of Mr Kenyatta and represented him at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Others in the President's new circle of power include; State House comptroller Kinuthia Mbugua and Mr Nzioka Waita, the Chief of Staff and Head of the President’s Delivery Unit.

Mr Waita, who previously worked at Safaricom, has been at the heart of President Kenyatta’s project-driven legacy and won respect for his quiet effectiveness.

Deputy Chief of Staff Muturi, on the other hand, served Kenyatta from the time he joined elective politics in 2002 and his father, Muturi wa Njee, served Mzee Jomo Kenyatta in the same capacity.

In recent months, experts questioned the kind of legal advise the President was getting and his new appointments might serve as a timely reminder that he wants his house in order. 

[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta"][/caption]