Ruto Restructures Gachagua’s Powers in Cabinet Reshuffle

On Wednesday, President William Ruto expanded Prime Cabinet CS Musalia Mudavadi’s responsibilities, appointing him to oversee the Foreign Affairs department. This move involves the transfer of duties that were previously assigned to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s office earlier this year.

Back in March 2023, President Ruto had delegated certain foreign policy tasks to Deputy President Gachagua.

These responsibilities included managing interactions between international organizations, missions, and various government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Musalia Mudavadi will now assume these roles.

Prior to this, the responsibility for handling the country’s relations with foreign missions and organizations had traditionally rested with the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Wednesday’s cabinet changes caught the country by surprise, with observers intimating that some CSs were also unaware of the pending reshuffle. 

With Musalia given control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gachagua’s role in the key docket will be clipped. 

In the now-to-be-revoked responsibilities, diplomatic missions had been asked to work directly with the Office of the Deputy President. 

Musalia in a statement released following the changes announced that he was up to the task of handling the added responsibilities. 

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been entrusted by His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto with an expanded role in the reshuffled Cabinet,” a statement from the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary read in part. 

“I express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency for the trust placed in me by assigning me the additional vital role of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.”

Mudavadi revealed that he would deliver on his role to protect the interests of Kenyans, both within our borders and abroad.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary takes over from Alfred Mutua who has since been moved to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.