Kenya's youthful protesters unimpressed by cabinet changes

Embattled Kenyan President William Ruto announced 10 more nominations for his new broad-based government on Wednesday, in addition to 11 appointments presented a few days earlier.

Ruto also included four high-level opposition members as part of the new cabinet. This shift toward a government of national unity in Kenya comes amid ongoing pressure from younger Gen Z protesters demanding better governance.

While this is seen as a way of trying to bring back much-needed peace in the country, many have criticized the leader for doing too little, too late.

Judy Achieng, political analyst and programs officer at the youth-led organization Siasa Place, believes Ruto is trying to appease the opposition, which has shown support for the protests.

Raila Odinga, the leader of the main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has been commending the protests.

"But it's condescending to see these appointments. Because this protest is not opposition-led, it's citizen-led," said Achieng.

Youth activist Claudia Wairigia, meanwhile, told DW she thinks Ruto is putting on a facade to "win over some of the opposition just to move forward with his agenda."

Ruto's gamble

The four nominated opposition members, including the ODM deputy party leaders, are all allies of Odinga, whom Ruto defeated in the 2022 elections.

Hassan Khannenje, political analyst and director of the think tank HORN, thinks that while these appointments may reduce political tensions among some key opposition figures, they might not quell the street protests, especially as some of these nominees also face accusations of graft.

Khannenje added that the cabinet appointments won't be likely to stop Odinga from continuing his support for the protests, either.

"But at the same time, Odinga has a desire to have a stake in the government through close associates."

New faces in high demand but low supply

Alongside the new appointments, Ruto also reselected six members of his previously dismissed cabinet for the new government. This move was also met with criticism by those protesting on the streets and urging for change.

"If the president were listening to the free advice from Kenyans, he would not appoint more than three people from his old cabinet to the new one. There is a lot of tribalism," one of the protesters, John Njoroge, told DW.

"The appointment seems to have united some parts of the country," added another protester, Lex Mulwa, highlighting that this will not be sufficient to meet the demands of Gen Z protesters.

Khannenje, meanwhile, sees a growing sense of frustration among Kenya's youth despite Ruto's latest measures. "They feel there are so many more qualified people. So the problem is the recycling of the same people," he said.

Gen Z protesters have repeatedly asked for fresh blood in the ranks of Kenya's top leadership:

"We, as Gen Z, refuse the new appointments. We don't want old people in the cabinet. The president should remove them and appoint some from Gen Z," businessman and protester Peter Kariuki told DW.

More inclusivity or political tokenism?

Ruto's nominations, however, also appear to be aimed at making the new cabinet more ethnically inclusive — a step that has been welcomed by many.

"The president was at pains to promise that the next government would represent Kenya better. Now, there are also people from Western Kenya and the coast," said Khannenje.

Others argue that this amounts to little more than window dressing, saying Ruto has failed to meet the protesters' chief demands for accountability and competency.

"Cabinet secretaries need to be appointed on merit and not [as] political tokens. It's quite disappointing to see the president was not listening to the youth," said Achieng.

The National Assembly is yet to approve Ruto's new cabinet nominations, with hearings scheduled for early August. Khannenje suggested that the government is also trying to buy time this way. "They probably hope Gen Z will run out of steam, as they lack experience with consistency," he said.

The Occupy Parliament movement, however, continues to pressure lawmakers to act on their demands, with no signs of letting up.

"I believe the protests will continue," said Achieng."As long as we have police brutality, missing bodies, and young people being abducted."

Edited by: Sertan Sanderson

Correction, July 27, 2024: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Judy Achieng. DW apologizes for the error.