Who are they? Ruto's new Cabinet nominees at a glance
National
By
Esther Nyambura
| Jul 20, 2024
President William Ruto on Friday, July 19 ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/national/article/2001499256/rutos-nominates-11-people-to-make-up-new-cabinet">nominated < 11 individuals for the positions of Attorney General and Cabinet Secretaries in various ministries.
Four were nominated to continue serving in the same ministries they did in his previous Cabinet, while two were reshuffled and five are new appointees.
Among the familiar faces are Aden Duale, Rebecca Miano, Alice Wahome, Davis Chirchir, Soipan Tuya, and Kithure Kindiki.
Miano was nominated to replace former AG Justin Muturi, while Chirchir if appointed, will replace Kipchumba Murkomen in the Roads and Transport Ministry. The other four were nominated to serve in the ministries they served in Ruto’s first Cabinet.
Ministries with new nominees include Education, Health, Water, ICT, and Agriculture.
Education CS nominee: Julius Ogamba
In the education sector, Ruto has nominated a close ally of former Education CS Ezekiel Machogu.
Julius Migos Ogamba, who, if appointed will succeed Machogu, was the former CS’s running mate in the 2022 Kisii governorship race, which Machogu lost to Simba Arati.
Ogamba is a lawyer by profession with over 25 years of experience in legal practice and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law from the University of Nairobi.
Currently, he serves as the chairman of the Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) Board, a position he was appointed to in 2023.
ICT nominee: Margaret Ndung’u
Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u was nominated to replace Eliud Owallo.
Ndung’u, an information scientist with over 20 years of work experience, is currently the lead Kenya Partner for Research ICT Africa.
She has also worked on national and regional projects funded by IDRC, World Bank, NEPAD, International Trade Center, and Vodafone, among others, with a keen interest in ICT research.
She holds a PhD in Information Systems, an MBA in Management Science, and a BSc in Information Sciences.
Health CS nominee: Dr. Debra Mlongo
President William Ruto nominated Dr Debra Mlongo to head the health docket. She is a medical doctor specialising in internal medicine and infectious diseases.
She has 15 years of experience, having worked in national, referral, private, and community-based health institutions. The Ministry of Health nominee has also co-led the Infectious Disease Pillar, addressing outbreak-prone infections such as COVID-19 and Ebola.
Mlongo has a Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine from the University of Nairobi and currently serves as an infectious diseases consultant for the World Health Organization.
If appointed, she will replace Susan Nakhumicha.
Agriculture CS nominee: Andrew Mwihia
To replace Mithika Linturi, Ruto has nominated Andrew Mwihia as Agriculture CS.
Mwihia is said to have over 36 years of experience in various fields, including development economics, rural development and finance, agriculture, and livestock development.
He has worked as an extension officer and planning officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. According to sources, Mwihia currently serves as an advisor to the World Bank.
However, netizens claim Mwihia served as Linturi’s assistant before his nomination.
He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, a Master’s in Agricultural Economics, and a PhD in Development Economics and Policy obtained from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.