President William Ruto on Wednesday added Prime Cabinet CS Musalia Mudavadi additional roles in which he now doubles as the Foreign Affairs docket, taking over roles that had been transferred to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's office early this year.
In March 2023, Ruto assigned Gachagua some foreign policy roles including directing engagements between international organisations and missions and government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), roles which Mudavadi will now take over.
Before Gachagua was given the roles, it had been a reserve of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to run the country's relations with foreign missions and organisations.
Wednesday's cabinet changes caught the country by surprise, with observers intimating that some CSs were also unaware of the pending reshuffle.
With Musalia given control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gachagua's role in the key docket will be clipped.
In the now-to-be-revoked responsibilities, diplomatic missions had been asked to work directly with the Office of the Deputy President.
Musalia in a statement released following the changes announced that he was up to the task of handling the added responsibilities.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been entrusted by His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto with an expanded role in the reshuffled Cabinet,” a statement from the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary read in part.
“I express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency for the trust placed in me by assigning me the additional vital role of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.”
Mudavadi revealed that he would deliver on his role to protect the interests of Kenyans, both within our borders and abroad.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary takes over from Alfred Mutua who has since been moved to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
The Deputy President is yet to comment on the new developments and his now reduced powers.
