Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday announced the dismissal of almost his entire cabinet and consultations following widespread anti-government protests.
The country was left reeling after peaceful rallies last month over steep tax increases degenerated into deadly violence, with police firing at crowds who stormed parliament, leaving it partly on fire.
Led largely by Kenyan youths, the protests plunged Ruto’s administration into the most serious crisis of his presidency, which forced him to abandon the tax hikes and do everything possible to contain the damage.
According to France 24, in the latest move to defuse tensions, Ruto said his decision would extend to all ministers, including the attorney-general. However, the prime cabinet secretary and foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were excluded.
Ruto said he decided on the dismissals upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said, and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of his cabinet and its achievements and challenges.
The largely peaceful rallies have widened into a broader campaign against Ruto and his government, with some demonstrations degenerating into violence, with dozens losing their lives.
Last week, the Kenyan President announced sharp cuts to government spending in response to growing anger over his cabinet’s travel and renovation budgets, while ordinary citizens struggle to cope with a cost of living crisis. Also, the government will have to increase its borrowing to pay for some services even as it grapples with massive foreign debt amounting to 70 percent of GDP.
The crisis led US-based Moody’s to downgrade Kenya’s debt rating further into junk territory and warned of a negative outlook, which will make borrowing even more expensive for the cash-strapped government.
The ratings agency said it was cutting the ratings for Kenyan government debt to Caa1—considered to have very high credit risk—with the move reflecting Ruto’s “significantly diminished capacity to raise taxes and reduce debt.”
