NAIROBI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday named more cabinet secretaries and also created the position of chief administrative secretary in all the ministries.
In a televised news conference in Nairobi, Kenyatta, who is serving his second and final term in office following last year's re-election, retained 13 cabinet secretaries.
"Chief Administrative Secretary will broadly be responsible for helping cabinet secretary to coordinate running of affairs in respective ministries," Kenyatta said in Nairobi.
Unlike the previous cabinet which had 20 cabinet secretaries, Kenyatta this time round opted for 22 member-cabinet as he plans to deliver on his Big Four agenda -- food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and affordable healthcare -- the pillars of his vision to transform the country economically.
The country's new constitution which was enacted in 2010 allows for a maximum of 22 ministries with women expected to take a certain number of slots in the cabinet.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Principal Secretary Monica Juma replaced Amina Mohamed as cabinet secretary. Mohamed was appointed education cabinet secretary replacing Fred Matiang'i who has been appointed as the Interior Cabinet Secretary. Matiangi will be assisted by Chief Administrative Secretary Patrick Ntutu.
Rachel Omamo has been retained at the Defence ministry; Cecil Kariuki was moved to the health portfolio from Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs ministry.
Veteran journalist Farida Karoney was named cabinet secretary in the ministry of lands, Margaret Kobia is the nominee for Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, while John Munyes was named CS for Petroleum and Mining.
Kenyatta also retained cabinet secretaries in the National Treasury, Tourism, Industrialization, ICT and energy. Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju was named Cabinet Secretary without portfolio.
Lawmakers are expected to begin vetting the nominees on Tuesday after submission of the names by the president to National Assembly Speaker.
