President Uhuru Kenyatta is hell-bent on achieving his legacy and uniting a divided nation. Throughout his reign, since 2013, Kenyatta has made some changes to his administration, notably the Cabinet and other key government positions.
Among those he has trusted within his two terms are individuals who also served under former President Mwai Kibaki's regime.
Uhuru borrowed a leaf from Kibaki, mixing new and old blood in appointments. Some of his appointments have come under criticism while others have been lauded. He has also had to negotiate appointments with his deputy William Ruto with disagreements escalating in 2020 leading to sackings even more imminent changes in the second quarter of 2020.
Raila Odinga
Odinga, ODM leader, was among the first Cabinet Ministers who served under Kibaki in the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) government, after helping him trounce Kenyatta in the 2002 elections.
He served as the Minister for Roads, Public Works and Housing before falling out with Kibaki in 2005.
Odinga, later on, shared power with Kibaki in 2008, after the controversial 2007 elections and was appointed the Prime Minister, a position he held up to 2013.
In Kenyatta's government, Odinga became Kenyatta's confidant after the two brokered a truce, following the March 2018 handshake.
Ever since Odinga became an insider in government. He is also poised to be appointed as Chairman of the Covid-19 Economic Recovery Team by the Head of State.
William Ruto
Deputy President William Ruto served as Minister for Home Affairs, Agriculture and Higher Education under Mwai Kibaki between 2002 and 2010.
He became Kenyatta's running mate in 2013 and the DP since then.
Between October 5 and October 8, 2014, Ruto became the Acting President while Kenyatta was answering to charges against humanity in ICC, Hague, Netherlands.
Kalonzo Musyoka
The Wiper leader has enjoyed several government positions from 2002 to 2020, working under Kibaki and Kenyatta. In 2002, Kibaki appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2004, he was transferred to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and was later relocated to Home Affairs docket in 2008, where he served for five years.
The Home Affairs docket was an incentive for his Vice President role, which earned him the nickname watermelon when he was appointed by Kibaki to deputise him, following the 2007 controversial elections.
Under Kenyatta's first term, Musyoka was part of the opposition led by Odinga. He, however, benefited from the handshake as he was appointed by Kenyatta as a special envoy to the Republic of South Sudan.
Raphael Tuju
Former KTN journalist, Raphael Tuju has served in a number of capacities in government. Between 2003 and 2005, Kibaki appointed him Minister of Information and Communications and Minister for Tourism and Wildlife.
In December 2005 to 2007, he was appointed as Foreign Minister after Kibaki and Odinga fell out.
In 2008, Kibaki appointed him as an Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kenya in media and management of diversity. He also served as Special Envoy of the President.
Under Kenyatta, Tuju became one of his trusted aides, after he was appointed Jubilee Party Secretary-General in 2017. He also served as CS without Portfolio in the Cabinet. Tuju, many argue has been Kenyatta's voice in the party and has been a central figure in the war between Kenyatta and his Deputy President William Ruto.
Mutahi Kagwe
The former Nyeri Senator was appointed by Kibaki as Cabinet Minister for Information and Communication. As Cabinet Minister, he spearheaded the construction of the transformational East African Marine System (T.E.A.M.S) – The first Fibre Optic Project for Eastern Africa.
It was during his term as Cabinet Minister that Kenya launched ‘M-PESA,’ a revolutionary mobile money transfer innovation, unseen before in the world.
In February 2020, Kenyatta appointed Kagwe Health CS and his first task was leading the fight against Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Najib Balala
Balala was one of Odinga's key allies, before shifting allegiance to Kenyatta.
The former Mvita MP was appointed Minister for Tourism by Mwai Kibaki in 2008, a position he served until 2012.
Kenyatta retained him in the same docket in 2013 and is one of the longest-serving CSs under Kenyatta.
He has managed to survive through the changes made by Kenyatta, who has fired some of his appointees over corruption or loyalty.
Yusuf Haji
Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji was the Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2013.
He spearheaded the war against the Al-Shabab militants under Operation Linda Nchi. Under his tenure, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were deployed to Somalia, under AMISOM, for a peacekeeping mission.
In June 2012, he was appointed acting Minister of Internal Security and Provincial Affairs after the late George Saitoti passed away in a helicopter crash.
Under Kenyatta's reign, he was appointed to chair the Building Bridges Initiative Taskforce in 2019.
Charity Ngilu
Kitui Governor, Charity Ngilu, is one of the longest-serving female politicians in Kenya and one of the first female governors too.
Ngilu served as Health Minister from 2003 to 2007 and Water and Irrigation Minister from 2008 to 2013 under Kibaki after aiding the former President to ascend to power in 2002.
In 2013, she ditched Odinga to join Kenyatta's government and was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Land, Housing and Urban Development.
She, later on, resigned from her post over corruption allegations.
John Munyes
Former Turkana County Senator John Munyes served under Kibaki as Minister of State for Special programmes (2005), Minister for Water and Irrigation (2003) as well as Minister for Labour & Social Services.
In 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him as Petroleum and Mining CS, a position he currently holds.
