Following their swearing-in at State House on Friday, January 17, President William Ruto assigned his three newly-appointed Cabinet Secretaries Mutahi Kagwe (Agriculture), Lee Kinyanjui (Trade), and William Kabogo (ICT) with their first crucial tasks aimed at spurring the country’s economic growth.
In his speech, President Ruto expressed his unwavering confidence in the trio, stating that each has the ability to transform their respective sectors. He placed particular emphasis on the need for immediate action and the fulfillment of critical objectives.
Mutahi Kagwe, the newly appointed Agriculture CS, was tasked with addressing the urgent issue of a consignment of tea stuck at the Mombasa Port, which risks undermining the country’s economy. Ruto directed Kagwe to investigate the reasons behind the delay and take swift action to clear the shipment. Furthermore, the president asked Kagwe to work on persuading farmers to engage in the controversial livestock vaccination program that has faced public scrutiny. While critics have raised concerns about its true motives, the president reiterated that the vaccination drive would be voluntary. Ruto backed Kagwe’s approach to convincing farmers to adopt international standards for meat and leather exports.
In the Trade portfolio, Lee Kinyanjui was given the task of completing the construction of over 200 markets across Kenya, as well as finalizing negotiations for a bilateral agreement with the United States. Ruto also instructed him to prioritize the progress of Special Economic Zones and leverage regional trade agreements like COMESA, EAC, and SADC to boost cross-border trade. These efforts align with Kenya’s broader goal of enhancing agricultural exports and trade relations within the region.
William Kabogo, the new ICT CS, was handed an ambitious assignment to extend Kenya’s fibre optic connectivity plan, with a goal of establishing 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic network. The state has earmarked Ksh. 48 billion for the first 53,000 kilometres of rollout before the close of next year. Kabogo was also charged with creating 1,450 tech hubs across the country and driving the development of Kenya’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. The president stressed that collaborations with companies like Teleperformance could lead to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, with a target of 1 million digital workers in the next five years.
President Ruto urged the new CSs to approach their work with professionalism, fairness, and dedication, while maintaining compassion and patience when interacting with the public. The president’s assignments are set to lay the groundwork for transformative economic growth and job creation in Kenya.
