Kenya’s president has included the opposition in his new Cabinet, naming four ministers from the largest opposition party in an attempt to establish a broad-based cabinet that will solve governance challenges expressed in deadly protests.
President William Ruto appointed the minority leader in parliament and chairman of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s party to his new Cabinet on Wednesday, despite a split in the opposition alliance that saw other parties withdraw from government discussions.
The weeks of unrest in East Africa’s economic heartland have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, the dismissal of the majority of Cabinet members, and calls for Ruto’s resignation.
Protests began with Kenyans opposing a proposed measure to increase taxes, as millions of them struggle to make ends meet amid rising prices.
The president praised political parties on Wednesday for “their willingness to set aside partisan positions and interests in order to join a visionary partnership for Kenya’s radical transformation is a historic gesture of patriotism.”
Odinga, who has previously urged for discussions to defuse the turmoil, denied on Tuesday that he had been bribed to join Ruto in building a broad coalition government. He expressed his support for the protesters, saying that conversation would only begin once the president complied with the demonstrators’ requests.
His party’s secretary general said in a statement on Tuesday that there were no continuing talks to join the Ruto administration and that any member seeking a minister position should be aware that they were going against the party’s stand.
The opposition coalition does not lead the protests, which are led by young people who use social media to mobilise.
However, it has supported demonstrators, claiming that the terrible governance issues stated are consistent with the opposition’s offers to the government during prior opposition-led protests.
Ruto has promised to make reforms in his government, such as cracking down on corrupt officials and flaunting grandeur despite the cost-of-living issue.
According to the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights, at least 50 people have died and 413 have been injured in the protests that began on June 18.
