MOVED

Agriculture minister William Ruto has been moved to the Higher Education docket in a Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday.

President Kibaki named Dr Sally Kosgei as the new Agriculture minister after consultations with Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said a statement from the President's office.

Trade minister Amos Kimunya will serve, in an acting capacity, as Transport minister.

Belgut MP Charles Keter, a Ruto ally, was dropped from the Cabinet altogether in his capacity as Energy assistant minister.

"These appointments and changes take effect immediately," said the statement.

In other changes, Kaloleni MP Samuel Kazungu Kambi was named as the assistant minister in the Ministry of Medical Services while Wilfred Moriasi Ombui (North Mugirango ) will now serve the government as the assistant minister, Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, Office of the Vice President.

Kipkelion MP Kiprono Magerer Langat moves to the Energy Ministry as MP assistant minster.

The changes will come as a blow to Mr Ruto, who has been spearheading the No campaign against the draft constitution.

The Eldoret North MP is leading a group of No proponents, largely drawn from the Rift Valley, who are opposed to what they say are contentious issues in the draft, namely: Land, Devolution and Executive.

Particularly galling for him will be the fact that Dr Kosgei, who has gone against the grain in the Rift Valley in supporting the proposed law, is the one to gain from the perceived Ruto's demotion.

The Agriculture Ministry is one of the key portfolios in government not least because agriculture is Kenya's economic mainstay and the largest foreign exchange earner. Mr Ruto was also in control of 29 parasatals in the Ministry, one of the largest in the 40 Kenya ministries.

Mr Ruto was non-committal when asked if he considered the transfer as a demotion.

"Whatever it is," he said.

Mr Ruto has also been at odds with the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his party- the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)- over a host of issues among them the Mau Forest evictions and the government's handling of the post election violence suspects.

He has accused the PM of mismanaging the evictions saying that it was inhumane to uproot people from their homes and "dump them on the roadside". Incidentally, Mr Odinga is expected in the Mau Thursday for another round of tree planting at Songi Kaboyet in Eastern Mau starting from 10 a.m.

Mr Ruto also differs with Mr Odinga on the government decision to hand over post poll violence suspects to the International Criminal Court at The Hague as he prefers a local judicial mechanism.

In February, Mr Odinga suspended Mr Ruto together with Basic Education minister Sam Ongeri for their role in the maize and Free Primary Education (FPE) scandals respectively, further widening their differences. However, President Kibaki overturned the suspensions saying the PM had no powers to fire ministers.

Mr Kimunya added responsibilities are due to the vacancy left by former Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere, who lost his Matuga parliamentary seat after a petition contesting his election as area MP.