Outgoing Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary (CS) Simon Chelugui has become the only Cabinet member in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet to be retained by President William Ruto.
Chelugui was nominated on Tuesday, September 27 as the new CS for Cooperatives and Micro, Small & Medium Size Enterprises (MSMEs) pending approval by the National Assembly.
Monica Juma, who has been serving as Energy and Petroleum CS has also been nominated as National Security Advisor.
President Ruto said she will serve at the Cabinet level alongside Attorney General and Secretary to the Cabinet nominees Justin Muturi and Mercy Wanjau respectively.
CS Chelugui's ministerial posts
Chelugui previously served as CS for Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation between 2017 and 2021 before he was moved to the Ministry of Labour in October 2021.
He is a politician and a close ally of President Ruto.
In 2017, he vied for Baringo County governor seat but lost to Stanley Kiptis at the nomination level.
On the other hand, Juma, 58, was first appointed by then President Uhuru Kenyatta to serve as Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 2016 before being elevated to the Cabinet level as Foreign Affairs CS in February 2018.
In January 2020, she was moved to the Ministry of Defence where she served until October last year when she was named as Energy and Petroleum CS, replacing long-serving CS Charles Keter who was moved to the Ministry of Devolution.
Keter resigned in February 2022 to vie for Kericho governor seat but lost to political greenhorn Dr. Eric Mutai at the nomination level.
