President William Ruto of Kenya has dissolved his cabinet with immediate effect in a bid to appease protesters who have been calling for an end to his administration for the past two weeks.
Ruto's plans to increase revenue through tax hikes have faced significant setbacks, with the Kenyan Revenue Authority missing its tax targets for 2023.
"I have decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the cabinet secretaries and the Attorney General of Kenya, except the prime cabinet secretary and the cabinet secretary for diaspora affairs. The office of the vice president is not affected in any way," Ruto announced in a televised address on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the president reached out to opposition leader Raila Odinga to help ease the tensions that have gripped the country for a month. The current crisis began after the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition ignored calls to reject the controversial 2024 Finance Bill, which was eventually withdrawn on June 25 after demonstrators overran parliament.
Initially, the protests were against new taxes on bread, cars, diapers, and sanitary towels, among other items. However, they quickly escalated into demands for Ruto's resignation, with Kenyans accusing his government of corruption, extrajudicial killings, abductions, and incompetence.
On Thursday, July 11, Ruto announced the dissolution of all cabinets except the positions of prime cabinet secretary and cabinet secretary for diaspora affairs, leaving the office of the vice president unaffected.
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President Ruto of Kenya 🇰🇪 has dissolved his cabinet. Save for the Prime Cabinet Secretary. Wow pic.twitter.com/6T9wIjmDxh
— Rotus (@Rotankwot) July 11, 2024
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