Education PS, Mung'aro moved in fresh reshuffle

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday made changes to the Executive, appointing new chief administrative secretaries and moving others within ministries in changes State House said were geared towards making the government more effective.

The most affected was the Ministry of Education, where the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) and PS have been moved. Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang moves to State Department for Regional and Northern Corridor Development.

Education CAS Zack Kinuthia and his Sports, Culture and Heritage counterpart Hassan Noor Hassan will swap places.

President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Sara Ruto, who has served as the chair of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, to the Education docket.

The changes in the Education sector came a week after Uhuru unveiled a department in the ministry to oversee implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Education PS Belio Kipsang. [David Njaaga, Standard]

The President's office yesterday said the changes would help the country recover from the socioeconomic shocks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and foster efficiency. Uhuru also merged the State departments for Mining and Petroleum, and now under the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining.

"The presidential action seeks to foster operational efficiency, institutionalise and expedite the implementation of various ground-breaking reforms, and introduce functional changes that shall make ministries and State departments more effective and able to deliver on their mandates," Uhuru's office said.

Livestock and Fisheries PS Japheth Ntiba Micheni now moves to the State Law Office as CAS. He will be replaced by Francis Owino, who was in Industrialisation. David Osiany, a communication strategist, also makes a debut in the Executive as Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development CAS. 

Former Tharaka MP Alex Mburi Mwiru was appointed to the position of Lands and Physical Planning CAS, as Gideon Mung'aro moves to the Ministry of Devolution. Uhuru has also tapped former Rural Electrification Authority CEO Zachary Ayieko to take over as CAS in the Ministry of Energy, as he shifts focus to experts who have served in the field.

Others are Eric Simiyu Wafukho, who will be Treasury CAS, Jackson Kalla (Labour and Social Protection), Lawrence Angolo Omuhaka (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives). Omuhaka and Kalla served as chief officers in Kakamega and Machakos counties respectively.