Ruto appoints Ida Odinga to UNEP, Francis Meja to PSC

Ida Odinga and Francis Meja.

President William Ruto has formally appointed Ida Betty Odinga as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative in the Foreign Service days after the National Assembly approved her nomination.

The announcement was contained in a February 27, 2026, gazette notice.

“IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by Article 132 (2) (e) of the Constitution of Kenya, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint— IDA BETTY ODINGA, CANON (DR.) as Ambassador and Permanent Representative in the Foreign Service of the Republic of Kenya,” it reads.

She will assume office as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), whose headquarters are in Nairobi.

The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations approved her nomination on February 24, days after vetting her for the post.

She appeared before the committee chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech on February 20, where she outlined her vision for the country at UNEP.

In the same gazette notice, President Ruto appointed Francis Meja to be the new Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson for a six-year term.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 250 (2) of the Constitution of Kenya and in accordance with the procedure set out under paragraph 6 of the First Schedule to Public Service Commission Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint Francis Meja to be the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission,” reads part of the notice.

Meja, who replaces Ambassador Anthony Muchiri, has served in both the public and private sectors.

He once served at the National Transport and Safety Authority as its Director‑General and has held different roles in the transport ministry, Equity Bank and Housing Finance.

He has been a PSC member since January 2025 after his nomination by Ruto before his nominated him for the chairperson's post a year later.

This move proved controversial with  critics and lobby groups calling out the president saying a PSC member cannot be nominated as chairperson.

He was vetted by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Labour and approved on February 25, 2026.