Fired Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has secured a diplomatic position after her controversial exit from Afya House. President William Ruto has appointed her as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat, replacing Grace Okara just seven months into the role.
Nakhumicha’s new posting comes after her dramatic dismissal on July 11, 2024, when President Ruto sacked his entire Cabinet, including Attorney General Justin Muturi. The purge followed intense Gen Z protests that rocked the country, demanding accountability and an end to failed government policies.
A Soft Landing After a Hard Fall
During her tenure at the Ministry of Health,Nakhumicha faced intense criticism, with failed healthcare reforms and an unresolved nationwide doctors’ strike tarnishing her record. Despite the public backlash, she remained in the shadows after her dismissal, only resurfacing with emotional appeals for prayers and lamentations about the hardships of losing power.
“You sleep as a CS, and when you wake up, you are not one… Pray for me. It is not easy,” she told Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit.
Despite her public struggles, Ruto’s latest reshuffle has thrown her a lifeline in the form of a foreign diplomatic post, sparking debate about whether the government is simply recycling failed leaders instead of appointing competent professionals.
Ruto’s Strategic Reappointments
Nakhumicha’s appointment is part of a broader government restructuring that has seen the return of dismissed officials in new capacities. After initially being left out of Ruto’s post-reshuffle realignments, her political connections have now secured her a seat at the diplomatic table.
With opposition figures joining the government, and former Cabinet Secretaries being handed soft landings, critics argue that Ruto’s reshuffle is more about political survival than actual merit-based appointments.
While Nakhumicha settles into her new role at UN-Habitat, the same healthcare problems she failed to fix remain unresolved, leaving Kenyans wondering: Is failure in office now a stepping stone to a diplomatic career?
