President William Ruto has appointed renowned legal scholar Prof Makau Mutua as the Senior Adviser of Constitutional Affairs in the Executive Office of the President. The move is being seen as another strategic step towards deepening collaboration between the government and opposition figures, particularly allies of Raila Odinga.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, President Ruto hailed Prof Mutua’s vast experience in legal, constitutional, and human rights matters. “Congratulations Prof Mutua. I welcome you to join a dynamic team of public servants in the implementation of our Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” Ruto said.
Mutua, a Kenyan-American and an accomplished academic, previously served as the spokesperson for Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja campaign in the 2022 presidential election. His new role marks a significant political shift, highlighting the President’s continued efforts to build a broad-based administration that transcends party lines.
The appointment follows the March agreement between Ruto and Odinga to work together, an accord that has led to increased inclusion of opposition figures in key government roles. Just last week, Jaoko Oburu Odinga, son of Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, was named Special Advisor on Economic Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihoods in the President’s office.
Mutua is a former dean at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo School of Law and currently teaches international human rights, international law, and business transactions. He is also a former Vice President of the American Society of International Law and chaired the 2003 Task Force on the Establishment of a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission in Kenya.
His appointment has sparked interest across political circles, as it symbolizes a continued thawing of political hostilities between Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition and the Azimio opposition camp. For many observers, it signals a maturing of Kenya’s political landscape where expertise is increasingly being valued over partisan allegiance.
As the President moves forward with his Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, the inclusion of legal minds like Prof Mutua is expected to strengthen constitutional oversight and governance in policy formulation and implementation.
