NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has made significant changes to his Cabinet, reassigning Aden Duale to the Ministry of Health and appointing Deborah Barasa as the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry.
The reshuffle, announced in a statement by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, comes just months after Duale took over the Environment docket.
The President’s move aligns with his agenda to streamline service delivery under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Koskei confirmed that the changes were implemented in accordance with Article 152(5)(a) of the Constitution, allowing the President to reassign Cabinet Secretaries as necessary.
Duale’s tenure in public service has been marked by key leadership roles.
Before leading the Environment Ministry, he served as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, a position he held until July 2024.
Following a brief dismissal, he was reinstated to the Cabinet as Environment CS.
Duale’s political career includes serving as the Member of Parliament for Garissa Township Constituency and as Majority Leader in the National Assembly from 2013 to 2020.
He also served as Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Livestock Development from 2008 to 2013 and has held positions in various parliamentary committees.
Deborah Barasa, who now steps into the Environment docket, Barasa, previously served as an infectious diseases consultant with the World Health Organization in Nairobi before joining the cabinet in 2024.
She is tasked with addressing pressing issues in climate change, environmental conservation, and forestry management.
Her reassignment reflects the administration’s focus on sustainable environmental policies.
