Ruto culls Cabinet after violent protests

Kenyan President William Ruto last week fired his entire Cabinet – apart from the Foreign Minister – bowing to pressure from nationwide protests that have created the biggest crisis of his two-year presidency. TimesLIVE reports that last month’s youth-led protests against planned tax hikes turned violent, killing at least 39 people in clashes with the police. Dmonstrators briefly stormed Parliament, before Ruto abandoned the new taxes. ‘I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations and other Kenyans, both in public and private, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government,’ Ruto said in a televised address to the nation, adding that he would announce additional measures later. He also dismissed the Attorney-General but said the Office of the Deputy President was not affected. The sweeping Cabinet changes were what Kenyans have been asking for, veteran anti-corruption activist John Githongo told Reuters. ‘Let us see what happens now if the new Ministers deal with big issues around corruption and just the arrogance and excess of his administration and the fact that a lot of Kenyans died during the demonstrations,’ he said. ‘Hopefully this should temporarily calm things.’