• While competence is crucial in delivering effective governance, Nyikal acknowledged that in this particular case, the public's feelings were the driving force behind the dismissal of the previous Cabinet.

In an interview with Citizen TV on August 5, 2024, Dr. James Nyikal, the Member of Parliament for Seme Constituency, has highlighted the significant challenge facing President William Ruto's newly nominated Cabinet Secretaries in regaining the public's trust.

Nyikal explained that the circumstances leading to the dissolution of the previous Cabinet were directly tied to a loss of trust in the Government. "The challenge is not just the Cabinet Secretaries; it is a challenge to the nation. I particularly think it is a challenge to Parliament because if you look at the circumstances behind their firing, it was because of the public demonstrations, and so there was no trust in the Government."

Nyikal emphasized that the issue of trust affected not just the Cabinet Secretaries but also the entire executive branch. "It was not just the Ministers, it was the whole executive. All institutions of Government were challenged."

While competence is crucial in delivering effective governance, Nyikal acknowledged that in this particular case, the public's feelings were the driving force behind the dismissal of the previous Cabinet. "Competence is important in delivery. But in this particular case, we have to assume the public feelings drove the predecessors out of office, and so it is a big challenge they have of getting back their trust."

President Ruto dissolved his previous Cabinet on July 11, 2024, following a series of demonstrations by Kenyans dissatisfied with his administration. On July 24, 2024, he announced his final list of nominees for the new Cabinet positions.

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The new Cabinet includes several familiar faces, such as John Mbadi as the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, Kipchumba Murkomen as the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, and Wycliffe Oparanya as the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSME Development.

Since August 1, 2024, the National Assembly Committee on Appointments chaired by Speaker Moses Wetangula has been vetting the nominees.