We did not form coalition govt - Ruto defends hiring Raila's 4 men to cabinet

President William Ruto, on Sunday, outlined his vision for a broad-based government which includes the nomination of opposition members to his cabinet.

Ruto, while speaking at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa stated that he reached out to the opposition party Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to assist him in steering the nation.

The nomination of four key members to his cabinet, Ruto stated, does not justify the formation of a coalition government as claimed as the parties did not agree on a power-sharing formula. He also defended recalling some Cabinet Secretaries he had fired, adding that their friendship would not compromise service delivery.

"Many people have been asking me to explain what a broad-based government is. It is what it is. It was necessary to have a fresh start," he stated.

"It was necessary to have a fresh start to serve the people again, now that terms are different. We might be friends, but the terms are different. That is why I decided this time to form an administration that has a broader face of Kenya. You see some of the members coming from different formations. I said I will consult. There are those who did not want to talk to me, and that is democracy. We did not form a coalition government. Let no one say I have compromised the opposition. We have agreed to run an administration and put the country first," he explained.

From left: Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga and Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho during a past ODM event. (Photo: ODM)

Why the opposition party ODM?

Ruto argued that the government and ODM share a nearly similar manifesto, including the affordable housing programme and universal health coverage (UHC).

The two thus agreed to achieve the blueprints with a focus on the success of Kenya.

"There are things common between us, and my question was, can we agree and move the country forward on things that are not in contention between the sides?"

He further told the locals that he was not interested in being praised for securing his legacy. Rather, he wanted to be remembered for the development of the country.

"I am not keen on who takes credit. I am keen on the transformation of Kenya," he stated.

Ruto nominated ODM Chairman John Mbadi to head the powerful Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning, while National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi was nominated to head the Energy and Petroleum docket. He also selected former governors Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) to head the Mining and Cooperatives ministries respectively.