Ruto kicks out another military man from State agency, appoints Duale kin at Ketraco

President William Ruto has made changes in Keraco board replacing Brigadier (Rtd.) David Azangu Ngaira with Mr Abdi Bare Duale.

Brigadier Ngaira had worked at the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company for less than a year.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 3 (a) of the Articles of Association of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited, and section 6 (1) (a) of the State Corporations Act, as read together with section 51 (1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya, appoint—ABDI BARE DUALE to be the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from 20th January, 2023. The appointment* of Brig. (Rtd.) David Azangu Ngaira is revoked.”

Brigadier Ngaira was appointed by retired president Uhuru Kenyatta on April 14, 2022 replacing Joe Mutambu a former Mwingi Central MP and was transferred to Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) to serve in the same capacity.

Mr Duale who is the elder brother of Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Defence Mr Aden Bare Duale takes over his appointment from January 20, 2023.

Mr Duale is the Chairman of Kenya Leather Development Council. He is a trained entrepreneur with an MBA (International Trade) from Edith Cowan University, Australia.

He previously served as a board member of the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards and Nerix Pharma Limited.

In 2018, former President Kenyatta revoked Mr Duale’s appointment to the board of directors at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and through a special gazette notice, said Mr Bare has been appointed as the new Kenya Leather Development Council chairman.

Mr Bare was appointed to the position for a three-year term effective from May 30, 2018.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 6 (1) (a) of the State Corporation Act and paragraph 4 (1) (a) of the Kenya Leather Development Council Order, 2011, I, Uhuru Kenyatta, President and Commander-in-chief of the Kenya Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya, re-appoint Abdi Bare Duale to be the Chairperson of the Kenya Leather Development Council Board for a period of three (3) years, with effect from 30th May 2018,” said the President in the gazette notice,” the notice read then.

The former president appointed Mr Charles Makori Omanga to replace Mr Duale as a member of the board in KRA, served until June 2020.

Since take over President Ruto has made several appointments to State parastatals, with former President Kenyatta's allies either dropped or moved to less glamorous positions.

Former Chief of Defence Forces Gen (Dr) Julius Karangi was in December, 2022 moved from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Board of Trustees to the less glamorous National Council for Population and Development Board.

Karangi, who served as CDF during Uhuru's tenure, replaced David Ngugi as chair of the board until July 20, 2024.

The general's current position at NSSF Board will be held by Antony Muriuki Munyiri, who will serve for three years.

The Head of State has also appointed Lt Gen (Rtd) Walter Rarira Koipation as the chairperson of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Board for three years. KWS has not been with the board chair since John Waithaka resigned in a huff citing frustrations in 2020. Betty Maitoyo has been acting.

The president also appointed Faith Boinett to chair the Kenya Pipeline Company Limited (KPC) Board of Directors for three years.

“The appointment of Rita Achieng Okuthe is revoked,” Ruto said.

President Ruto in a Gazette notice dated December 23, appointed former Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau to chair the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Board of Directors.

Kamau, who fell out with Uhuru and was kicked out of the Cabinet in the Jubilee government's first term, replaces former Kabete MP Lewis Nguyai.

Before the revocation of his apportionment, Nguyai, who was appointed in February, was supposed to serve until 2024.

In the last three months, Ruto has been picking his allies and loyalists to replace Uhuru's close confidants.