Kenyan President fires Cabinet Secretaries after anti-tax protests by the youth

Kenya's under-fire President William Ruto has dismissed with "immediate effect" all his ministers and the attorney-general, following the recent deadly protests that led to the withdrawal of an unpopular tax bill.

The president said the move came after "reflection, listening to Kenyans, and after holistic appraisal of my cabinet".

He has said he will now consult widely in order to set up a broad-based government.

The dissolution of his cabinet does not affect the deputy president, who can’t legally be fired, and the prime cabinet secretary who is also the foreign affairs minister.

He has not indicated when he will name a new government.

In the meantime, he said, he will consult “across different sectors and political formations and other Kenyans, both in public and private”.

The dramatic move is highly unusual, coming less than two years after he took office.

The last time an entire cabinet was dissolved was in 2005 when then President Mwai Kibaki did so shortly after losing a referendum over a new constitution.

Mr Ruto has been under pressure from Kenyans who have continued holding anti-government protests and demanding more accountability from government, even though he agreed to withdraw his controversial tax rises.

Some of the protesters have been calling for the president to go.

Last week, Mr Ruto announced a number of austerity measures across various government agencies.

He also ordered a freeze in proposed pay rises for members of his cabinet and parliament following a public outcry.