Loyalists, poll losers dominate Ruto's state appointments

President William Ruto has appointed former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero as chairperson of the Kenya National Trading Corporation.[File, Standard].

President William Ruto's loyalists and losers during the 2022 General Election have dominated recent appointments to the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Appointments made by the Head of State have given a lifeline to his allies who were initially nominated as Cabinet Assistant Secretary (CAS), but relegated to the cold following a court ruling that declared the posts unconstitutional.

Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero is the latest beneficiary of President Ruto's political reciprocity after he was appointed as the chairperson of the Kenya National Trading Corporation. He will serve for a period of three years.

By the dint of appointing Dr Kidero through a gazette notice dated November15,2024, Ruto revoked the appointment of Hussein Debasso.

"In excercise of the powers conferred by Section 6 (1) (a) of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Act, 2013 as read together with Section 51 (1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint— Evans Kidero" read the notice in part.

Notably, Kidero has been in the political cold after he lost the Homa Bay governor race. The former Nairobi governor was among 50 CASs nominated by the President.

In the recent appointments, President Ruto also picked Dr Wenwa Akinyi to serve as Chairperson of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, for a period of three years.

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Also appointed are Teobald Wambugu to serve as the Chairperson of Tana Water Works Development Agency and Dr Thuo Mathenge to serve as the Chairperson of Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, for a period of three years.

Mathenge popularly known as Wanguku is a billioner from the Mt Kenya region and was an aspirant for the Nyeri governor seat in the 2022 General Election. He however lost the seat to the then incumbent Governor Mutahi Kahiga.

Another close ally of President Ruto, Charles Njagua alias Jaguar, was also earlier this week handed a new role as a member of the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ). Njagua was nominated alongside Dorothy Jemator Kimengech to fill the two vacant positions of members of CAJ.

Njagua had initially been nominated as the CAS in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports.

The CAJ is charged with tackling maladministration (improper administration) in the public sector. It is empowered to, among other things, investigate complaints of delay, abuse of power, unfair treatment, or manifest injustice or discourtesy. The commission is currently chaired by Florence Kajuju.

The appointments come against the backdrop of others made by the Head of State last month.

Former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru was appointed as the chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, replacing Pamela Olet.

Former Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga was also nominated to the Commission replacing former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu. The changes were communicated in a Gazette notice dated October 25, 2024.

The duo was appointed to the commission to address the long-standing environmental and public health challenges posed by Nairobi’s polluted rivers.

“Despite various State interventions, the Nairobi River Basin has not regenerated sufficiently to sustain aquatic life and remains murky and turbid,” President Ruto stated in the appointment notice.

“This Commission will foster coordination of initiatives for the protection, restoration, rehabilitation, and beautification of the Nairobi Rivers.”

The duo was to serve alongside other members of the commission including Mumo Musuva, a prominent environmental scientist, and John Kioli, an advocate for sustainable urban development.

Omanga would however decline her nomination to the commission and the President opted to place her in the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAP Fund) alongside three others.

In a Gazette Notice dated Friday, November 8, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced Omanga’s appointment to the LAP Fund Board.

Samwel Kariuki Maina and Beatrice Kones were also appointed to the Board for three years, with effect from November 8, 2024.