• Uhuru will name one of his most trusted cabinet secretaries to assume Rotich's office in an acting capacity
• President may also kick out Cabinet Secretaries who have defied his orders, not performed or engaged in 2022 politics
A mini-cabinet reshuffle is imminent following the arrest and prosecution of top government officials among them National Treasury CS Henry Rotich.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to name one of his most trusted cabinet secretaries to assume Rotich's office in an acting capacity.
Uhuru is also expected to appoint a National Treasury acting Principal Secretary to avoid any vacuum at the critical ministry after Kamau Thugge was also arrested yesterday.
The two top treasury officials are among 26 government officers set to be charged over the Arror and Kamwerer dams scandal whose impact has shaken the Jubilee administration.
The President will pick an acting Treasury CS from within his cabinet as the process of appointing a new cabinet secretary would take long.
Such an officer must be approved by Parliament.
To replace Rotich, there is speculation Uhuru might either settle on East African Community CS Adan Mohamed, his Infrastructure counterpart James Macharia or Treasury Chief Administrative Secretary Nelson Gaichuhie.
Either former Investments secretary and now Infrastructure PS Esther Koimett or Planning PS Julius Muia is tipped to take over from Thugge as the accounting officer of the National Treasury in an acting capacity.
The President is also expected to name another acting principal secretary at the Ministry of East African Community after Susan Jemtai Koech was arrested.
"There cannot be a vacuum in this office. It is a key institution that can ground government business," a source within the Presidency told the Star.
The President had during his State of the Nation Address in April insisted that he would hound out of office any of his ministers or PSs charged.
"The people of Kenya have been waiting for this for far too long. The President is finally on track and we wish him well," said ODM national treasurer Timothy Bosire.
It is understood Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji on Monday morning briefed the president on his intention to charge Rotich and Thugge over the dams scandal.
Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries perform delegated mandate from the President and any adverse effect on them such as prosecution must be within the knowledge of the Head of State.
There is also speculation that the President may leverage on the mini-reshuffle to kick out from his Cabinet a section of CSs who have either failed to perform or defied his directives.
Those targeted are said to have lost favour with the President by being adversely mentioned on graft related matters or decided to go on a 2022 campaign frenzy at the expense of development programmes.
Other changes are anticipated at the National Environment Management Authority following Haji's recommendation for the prosecution its CEO Geoffrey Wahungu.
Edited by N. Mbugua