The Kenyan cabinet is composed of the President, the Deputy President, the Attorney General, and Cabinet Secretaries. The 2010 constitution permits a maximum of 22 ministries. Upon being nominated by the President, the ministers or cabinet secretaries must be vetted and approved by the National Assembly before joining the cabinet. Cabinet Secretaries are accountable both individually and collectively, to the President for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions.
The President of Kenya is the head of state and government of Kenya. The President controls the executive branch of the Kenyan government and is the commander-in-chief of the Kenyan Defence Forces. The current President is Uhuru Kenyatta, who is serving his second and final term in office.
The President appoints a Cabinet Secretary to lead each of the nineteen ministries of the Kenyan government. The President also appoints a number of Principal Secretaries who are answerable to the Cabinet Secretary.
The role of the Cabinet Secretary is to provide political leadership to their ministry and to ensure that the ministry delivers on its mandate. The Cabinet Secretary is also responsible for coordinating the work of their ministry with other ministries and with the President’s office.
The nineteen ministries are:
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
Ministry of Energy and Petroleum
Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs
Ministry of Water and Sanitation
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives
Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Ministry of Labour and Employment
Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts
Ministry of Empowerment and Regional Development
The President may also appoint a number of State Departments and Agencies which are headed by a Chief Executive Officer who reports to the relevant Cabinet Secretary.