Politicians dominate Kenya's new cabinet

President William Ruto of Kenya appointed his cabinet's ministers and advisers on Tuesday, including 10 elected officials and women.

Only seven of the 22 ministers were women, despite the president's pledge to nominate 50% of women, although he also selected two more women as advisers and a female secretary to the cabinet.

The selections are viewed as a reward for his supporters who fought for him across the nation.

After technocrats were introduced to the executive during the last government, in which he served as deputy president, politicians have made a significant comeback to the cabinet.

The question of whether ministers should be active in politics came up during election campaigns as several technocrats publicly supported veteran politician Raila Odinga, who was backed at the time by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In the districts where the senators and members of the new government have been named, by-elections will need to be held.

The Standard media website and Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper both characterized President Ruto's new cabinet as being "heavily political" and "heavily inhabited by politicians rewarded for loyalty."