NAIROBI -Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday nominated four members from the main opposition party to his newly proposed “broad-based” cabinet.
This decision comes in the wake of six weeks of demonstrations that compelled Ruto to retract $2.7 billion in tax increases.
Among the opposition members nominated is John Mbadi Ngo’ongo, an ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga, to head the finance ministry.
Odinga, whom Ruto narrowly defeated in the 2022 election, has seen several of his allies integrated into the new cabinet.
Despite these appointments, young protesters who have been at the forefront of the demonstrations have rejected the notion of a unity government.
They argue that such a deal would continue the tradition of political leaders co-opting opposition figures with positions and perks, leaving the general population without any real benefits.
The protests, which have claimed over 50 lives, have posed the most significant challenge to Ruto’s administration since he took office two years ago.
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Despite halting the proposed tax hikes, the protests have persisted, with many activists now demanding Ruto’s resignation.
In addition to the four opposition members, Ruto reinstated five members of his previous cabinet, who he had dismissed earlier this month in response to protester demands.
Last week, he announced 11 nominations, six of whom were holdovers from his previous cabinet.
One of Wednesday’s nominees remains unidentified, and Ruto has indicated that more nominations will be forthcoming.
“I commend the leadership of diverse organizations…for their encouraging response to my outreach to consult on forming a broad-based government,” Ruto said in a statement from his official residence.
He also revealed plans to propose amendments to anti-corruption and public procurement laws.
The protests, largely organized online, have garnered widespread support from Kenyans across various ethnic and regional backgrounds.
Demonstrators have criticized the entire political class for corruption and have called for comprehensive reforms to tackle graft and poor governance.