Kenya Insights

Tag: Kenya Kwanza

  • Kenya Kwanza Defender Odoyo Owidi Fired in Sweeping Changes to State Agencies

    Kenya Kwanza Defender Odoyo Owidi Fired in Sweeping Changes to State Agencies

    Prominent Kenya Kwanza defender Odoyo Owidi has been removed from his position as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency.

    The announcement came through a gazette notice issued by Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Muriithi, who appointed Daniel Omino as Owidi’s replacement for a three-year term.

    “The appointment of Odoyo Owidi is revoked,” stated the official gazette notice, bringing an abrupt end to Owidi’s tenure at the agency.

    Owidi, a frequent guest on national television stations where he robustly defended the government, was among the early Luo Nyanza leaders who publicly supported President William Ruto ahead of the 2022 general election.

    His dismissal comes as a surprise to many political observers, given his visible loyalty to the current administration.

    Prior to his support for Kenya Kwanza, Owidi was a member of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party but resigned before the last election, citing what he described as “a lack of transparency” within the party. He had also previously served as Chair of the Lake Basin Development Authority.

    This removal is part of a broader series of changes across multiple state agencies announced by various Cabinet Secretaries. Energy and Petroleum CS Opiyo Wandayi appointed Martha Nyangwaria to the Board of Directors of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority and Anne Michura to the Board of the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency, both for three-year terms effective May 16, 2025.

    Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migosi appointed Eugene Masombo to the Board of Trustees for the President’s Award, while Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe appointed Wario Yattani to the Board of the Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Centre and re-appointed George Odhiambo Oballa to the same board.

    Additional appointments include Francis Njoroge to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute by Blue Economy CS Hassan Joho, and Leah Manyarkiy, Christopher Matseshe Naicca, and Dominic Salvio Kariuki Wambugu to the Board of Directors of the Information and Communications Technology Authority by Information and Communication CS William. The latter appointments coincided with the revocation of Annette Mutuku, Alfred Ngeno, and Michael Njogu Wachira from their positions.

    Newly appointed Gender and Culture CS Hanna Cheptumo made her first appointment by naming Addullahi Nur Sheikh to the National Heroes Council, while East African Community CS Beatrice Askul Jattani appointed Godana to the National Drought Management Authority.

    The wide-ranging changes across multiple government agencies signal what appears to be a strategic realignment within the Kenya Kwanza administration as it approaches the midpoint of its first term in office.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • Cabinet Approves Merger Of 42 Parastatals Into 20 Entities, Proposes 9 Corporations For Dissolution

    Cabinet Approves Merger Of 42 Parastatals Into 20 Entities, Proposes 9 Corporations For Dissolution

    Cabinet has approved sweeping reforms that will see 42 parastatals merged into 20 entities and nine dissolved, as part of efforts to cut costs and reduce inefficiencies.

    The reforms will also divest or dissolve 16 corporations whose roles can be handled by the private sector, restructure six parastatals and declassify 13 professional bodies currently receiving government funding.

    These professional bodies, including the Engineers Board, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), and the Nursing Council, will no longer receive state funding under the new framework.

    The decision follows the rising fiscal challenges posed by the growing public debt and increasing service demands on the government.

    The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 21, chaired by President William Ruto in Kakamega, also discussed the alarming state of pending bills.

    The proposed changes follow the National Treasury’s assessment of 271 state corporations, excluding those earmarked for privatisation, as part of the broader reform strategy to address inefficiencies and waste in the public sector.

    The 42 parastatals set to be merged into 20 entities include a wide range of organisations.

    These include the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), among others.

    The mergers are aimed at improving efficiency by eliminating redundancy and reducing operational costs.

    Among the nine parastatals proposed for dissolution are the Kenya Film Classification Board, the President’s Award Authority, and the Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Development Authority.

    The dissolution of these entities is part of the government’s broader efforts to cut down on unnecessary spending.

    In addition to the mergers and dissolutions, the Cabinet also proposed restructuring six parastatals to enhance their functionality.

    These include the Industrial Development Bank (IDB), the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI).

    These institutions will undergo restructuring aimed at increasing their operational efficiency and reducing wastage of public resources.

    Furthermore, the government has decided to divest or dissolve 16 other state corporations whose functions can be taken over by the private sector.

    These include entities like the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), and the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).

    These moves are in line with efforts to ease the fiscal burden on the government by allowing the private sector to take over certain roles, thereby fostering competition and improving service delivery.

    The Cabinet also approved the declassification of 13 professional bodies, which are no longer deemed necessary for direct government funding.

    The bodies include the Engineers Board, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), the Nursing Council, and others that have previously received financial support from the government.

    Under the new reforms, these bodies will now operate without government funding, a move expected to save the state millions of shillings annually.

    In a bid to improve the efficiency of the country’s immigration and travel processes, the Cabinet also approved changes to the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) system.

    The new system will allow most African visitors to stay in the country for up to two months, while East African Community nationals will continue to enjoy a six-month stay.

    Exceptions were made for Somalia and Libya due to security concerns. Additionally, the Cabinet approved measures for expedited travel approvals and advanced passenger screening to streamline the entry process for foreign nationals.

    The Cabinet also endorsed the Kenya Cloud Policy, which aims to promote the adoption of cloud technology across various sectors of the economy.

    The policy is expected to reduce costs, enhance cybersecurity, and improve data sovereignty, which are seen as essential for improving the overall efficiency of public service delivery.

    The adoption of cloud technology is also part of the broader government agenda to digitalise its operations and reduce reliance on physical infrastructure, which often leads to high maintenance costs.

    President William Ruto, during the Cabinet meeting, reiterated his administration’s focus on promoting unity, progress, and economic transformation.

    He highlighted several achievements, including the implementation of affordable housing projects, advancements in universal health coverage, and improvements in agricultural productivity.

    The president also stressed the importance of the reforms in streamlining government operations and ensuring more effective service delivery to citizens.

    The Cabinet also approved several other policies aimed at enhancing technical training, updating the country’s foreign policy, and amending the Public Finance Management Act to better streamline county fund allocations.

    These policies are seen as vital steps toward improving governance, reducing wastage, and ensuring more effective distribution of resources at the national and county levels

     

  • Omogi: How politicians corrupt the role of citizens in elections

    Omogi: How politicians corrupt the role of citizens in elections

    As campaigns hit fever pitch with Kenyans expected to elect new leaders in the August 9 general elections, majority of the aspirants still remain a corruption tainted lot which has been the norm in Kenyan politics.

    Kenyans have been blamed for their love of electing corrupt leaders then expecting anti-graft agencies to clean up their mess. Going by the history of our politics, some of the individual who will sail through in the August polls are characters whose details of corruption have been given out by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

    The vice is blamed on the political capital which is quite high for new entrants or individuals from humble backgrounds but tilting in favor of senior government officials who abuse their powers or network contacts for illegitimate private gain.

    Kenyan politicians engage in political corruption through bribery, embezzlement of public funds, influence peddling, cronyism, extortion, patronage, parochialism and nepotism among others.

    Criminals who have looted from public coffers always line up for elective positions in every election cycle and get elected as aspirants with integrity are rejected at the ballot.

    But the voters or citizens who bear the biggest responsibilities in the democratic system have neglected their duties to elect good leaders and keep checks and balances once they ascend to office.

    The role of a citizen in any democratic space goes beyond voting but to also keeping an eye at the national policies being implemented by the people they elect into public offices and raising their voice for or against policies that might hurt national cause.

    Politician have instead learnt the art of corrupting this role by bribing voters with proceeds of corruption to turn a blind eye on their failures, tainted records and zero legacies as they seek or occupy public offices.

    Some politicians also ride on the fact that a majority of voters are totally uninformed on their obligations in electoral process. This lack of information is partly blamed on the lack of proper civic education which favors political elites who are fond of corruption.

    But proper civic education remains one sure method of making citizens understand their need to keep oversight on government policies before, during and after electoral process.

    Lobby groups also need to keep constant pressure on the government and other relevant bodies to act rationally and concentrate on weeding out fundamental evils from the society.

    But most importantly, citizens must understand their duties and responsibilities to fasten the move towards realizing a corrupt free, honest and dedicated leadership that can change the course of Kenyan history.

     

    Cyprine Omogi is a Kenyan Education Officer who is also passion about good governance and realization of a graft free society.