President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a reshuffle in government that has seen several Principal Secretaries moved.
Uhuru announces reshuffle affecting PSs then retracts
Uhuru transfers loyalists to the Ministry of Health
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In the changes, the Ministry of Health will now have two permanent secretaries.
Susan Mochache, who has been the sole Health PS, will now be in charge of medical services.
Dr Francis Owino, who has been the Principal Secretary at the State Departments for Industrialization, will now join Mochache as the PS in charge of Public Health.
Owino will be replaced by Ambassador Johnson Weru who has been serving as Trade PS in the Ministry of Industrialization.
The Ministry of Health will also see Peter Kinuthia Thuku assume the office of Principal Administrative Secretary.
Thuku is a former County Commissioner who has been working in the office of the President.
Both Thuku and Owino have had a strong working relationship with the President and their transfer to the Ministry of Health appears to be part of President Kenyatta's effort to bring order to a ministry that has recently come under sharp criticism.
The Ministry has faced negative publicity after it emerged it could not account for billions of shillings meant for health equipment in the battle against Covid19.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday ordered investigations into the allegations of corruption at the Ministry of Health to be concluded within three weeks.
UPDATE: The changes have since been retracted in a statement released by State House spokesperson Kanze Dena.
"We would like to retract an earlier communication on the management changes at the Ministry of Health and that of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development," the statement from State House read in part.
Fresh communication on the subject matter will be issued in due course.
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