Joho: I look forward to serving Kenyans as a Cabinet Secretary

Former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho on Wednesday said he is ready to serve the people of Kenya as Mining and Maritime Affairs CS, following his nomination by President William Ruto.

Joho, who was previously a fierce critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration, said he is ready to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure his docket plays a role in transforming the country.

“It is with great humility and profound appreciation that I accept my nomination by H.E William Ruto for the position of Cabinet Secretary of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.

“I extend my sincere gratitude to the Almighty Allah (SWT)for this opportunity to once again serve the great people of Kenya in a different capacity,” he wrote.

Adding: “Upon confirmation, I look forward to working closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the Blue Economy, Mining and Maritime sectors take a leading role in the socio-economic transformation of our nation.”

Joho, alongside other ODM leaders, were in the list of fresh CS nominees announced by the Head of State in his bid to form a broad-based government.

Former Kakamega Wycliffe Oparanya, John Mbadi and Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi were all nominated to the cabinet to serve in the Cooperatives, Treasury and Energy dockets, pending approval by parliament.

In his speech, President Ruto said, once constituted, his cabinet would focus on transforming the economy and fast-track growth in the health, education and labour sectors.

He also commended all those who were part of the consultations that culminated in the nomination of the CSs, saying they put aside their political positions for the greater good of the nation.

“Our explicit aim is to transform Kenya into a middle-income society and it is essential for us to urgently mobilise adequate resources to fund these necessary programmes and projects.

“I commend the leadership of diverse organisations, both in the public and private sectors, including political parties, for their encouraging response to my outreach to consult on forming a broad-based government. Their willingness to set aside partisan positions and interests in order to join a visionary partnership for the radical transformation of Kenya is a historic gesture of their patriotism,” said the President.