In the wake of the Gen Z-led nationwide protests that have shaken the foundations of President William Ruto’s government, new dynamics are emerging within the power structure of the country’s top leadership.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga, Chief Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency Nooruddin Haji are among the most influential figures in Ruto’s inner circle.
Protests against bad governance have left a trail of destruction across the country, with 60 people killed, 415 injured and 66 people missing, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
These tragic demonstrations have forced President Ruto to re-evaluate his leadership and seek advice from an unexpected source.
Sources close to the presidency say President Ruto is working tirelessly to regain the confidence of the people, especially with the 2027 general elections looming.
The protests exposed serious rifts in the bureaucracy and led to confidential information being leaked to the public, putting Ruto in a vulnerable position and forcing him to lobby his political opponents to restructure the government.
“At a time when the country was in turmoil, former president Uhuru Kenyatta called me and asked me to reach out to Ruto and find a solution to the concerns of Gen Z,” Raila Odinga recalled at the funeral of Chirchir Masit, father of former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioner Irene Masit. “We discussed the situation and I shared my thoughts on how to handle it.”
Odinga, a fierce critic of the Ruto government, said the country was on the brink of collapse.
Odinga said he had spoken to Ruto by phone and agreed to meet to discuss the security situation. He stressed that the concerns raised by young protesters were serious and needed to be addressed rather than ignored.
“When we spoke, I told Mr Ruto that the government, especially those he appointed to his cabinet, were not serving the country and needed to be sacked,” Odinga said.
In a surprising move, President Odinga allowed President Ruto to appoint opposition politicians to his government, a decision that has sparked huge debate in political circles.
Key figures from Mr Odinga’s ODM party, including Chairman John Mbadi and Minority Leader Opiyo Wandai, were appointed as finance secretary and energy secretary respectively.
Other notable appointments include former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho as Minister of Mines, Wycliffe Oparanya as Director General of Cooperative Development and Salim Mvurya as Minister of Investment and Trade.
Despite these appointments, Odinga remains adamant that he is not part of the government.
“We have not agreed to form a coalition government,” he clarified.
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“Mr Ruto asked me to help him find people from my side to work in his administration and I accepted the request. I am confident that we will move forward as a nation.”
ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga in a press statement on Monday said there was no agreement between ODM and Kenya Kwanza for the two parties to govern together.
She stressed that no sane leader or political party should celebrate the collapse of a state.
“The party leader has explained, and we reiterate, that ODM members did not join the government as party representatives but as individuals who the President felt had the capacity to add value to the administration and help the country achieve its desired objectives.”
As a result, when the President appointed these members, the party responded to the people’s distress call and released them to serve Kenyans,” Wanga said.
While Raila Odinga has played a key role in shaping the current political landscape, his Chief of Staff, Musalia Mudavadi, has emerged as one of the most influential figures within Ruto’s administration. Sources say Mudavadi was a constant presence in Ruto’s daily life.
“Mr Musalia normally meets and speaks to President Ruto at least four times a day to seek his advice and be briefed,” an aide to President Ruto said.
Mudavadi’s influence was further strengthened when Prime Minister Ruto appointed him acting cabinet secretary to all ministries and agencies after sacking all cabinet secretaries.
The decision was formally announced in a special gazette notice dated July 11 and comes after President Ruto dissolved 21 cabinet members and the position of Attorney-General and officially declared the positions vacant.
But Mudavadi’s rise has not been without controversy. He faced opposition from Vice President Ligaty Gachagua and Public Service chief Felix Koskay over protocol and responsibilities, which led to the resignation of Mudavadi’s aide, Kibis Kabatesi.
“Civil servants seeking to allocate ministerial positions and posts are misguided in that they are seeking to usurp the powers of the President,” Kabatesi said in a statement dated October 15, 2023.
“Furthermore, portfolio designations are a presidential prerogative and cannot be taken away by civil servants.”
“In a recent government restructuring, the National Performance Management Agency, of which the Public Service Performance Management Unit is a part, was attached to the Ministry of Public Service,” Kabatesi wrote.
Speaking at the Supply Chain and Procurement Forum 2024 in Mombasa on August 15, Mudavadi stressed that the Ruto administration was being careful to avoid confrontation with the people, particularly the youth, who have been protesting against the high cost of living, unemployment and bad governance.
Amid the tense political situation, the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Nordin Haji, has become a key figure in Ruto’s government.
Tasked with navigating the volatile Gen Z protests, Haji has provided crucial intelligence reports that Ruto has relied on to stabilize his government, but his role is not without challenges.
Vice President Gachagua has openly questioned Haji’s competence and called for his resignation.
“Mr Ruto deserves better treatment. He deserves a competent Director of National Intelligence who can analyse the situation to provide intelligence to the government,” Gachagua said.
“It took protests, death, mayhem and destruction for the president to find out the truth, and it’s shameful that an organization exists that’s meant to do that.”
