NAIROBI, Kenya — Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has questioned the visibility and performance of several Cabinet Secretaries, claiming some key ministries appear “vacant” due to what he described as low-profile or absentee leadership.
In a post on X, the lawyer allied to President Ruto said about six to seven Cabinet Secretaries in the UDA administration are largely unheard of, raising concerns about oversight in critical government departments.
“Some of the Cabinet Secretaries (about 6 to 7) in H.E Ruto’s Cabinet are soo low key and probably incompetent that you don’t hear of them at all. They are AWOL. Many Kenyans genuinely feel these Cabinet offices have been vacant for the past three years,” he wrote.
He singled out the ministries responsible for Environment, Gender, Labour, Water, East African Community, and Agriculture, questioning whether they have ‘substantive’ leadership and urging the President to make what he termed “real appointments.”
“These low-key/absentee CSs come in office in the morning, read newspapers, have tea/mandasi, make telephone calls to friends and relatives, eat lunch & then go back home,” he added, noting he was raising the issue “honestly” rather than out of spite.
The Environment docket is currently central to climate adaptation and conservation policy, while the Agriculture ministry is under pressure to address food prices and productivity.
The Labour ministry continues to oversee overseas employment programmes and domestic job creation initiatives, while the Water ministry handles infrastructure expansion and drought mitigation.
Similarly, the East African Community portfolio remains key to regional trade, cross-border movement, and economic integration, while the Gender ministry is tasked with coordinating equality and social protection programmes.
Ahmednasir did not name specific office holders but questioned the apparent absence of public engagement, policy visibility, and communication from the cited ministries.
The presidency had not immediately responded to the remarks at the time of publication.
