President Ruto Reshuffles Principal Secretaries and Makes Key Diplomatic Appointments

President William Ruto has announced a reshuffle within the ranks of Principal Secretaries (PSs) and made key diplomatic appointments in a move aimed at strengthening his administration’s governance and economic agenda.

In a statement released by State House on Thursday, the government highlighted that the changes are driven by the need to harness opportunities in emerging economic sectors while accelerating the implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

New Appointments

Among the notable appointments, former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha Wafula has been nominated as Permanent Representative to the UN-Habitat. Other key nominees include:

• Dr. Jane Kare Imbunya – PS, Public Service & Human Capital Development
• Regina Akoth Ombam – PS, Trade
• Dr. Oluga Fredrick Ouma – PS, Medical Services
• Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim – PS, National Government Coordination
• Judith Naiyai Pareno – PS, Justice, Human Rights & Constitutional Affairs
• Prof. Abdulrazak Shaukat – PS, Science, Research & Innovation
• Michael Lenasalon – PS, Devolution
• Fikirini Katoi Kahindi Jacobs – PS, Youth Affairs

Reshuffle of Principal Secretaries

President Ruto also reshuffled several PSs, reassigning them to new ministries. Among the key changes:

• Amos Gathe promoted from PS, Public Service to Deputy Head of the Public Service.
• Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani, former PS for ICT, now appointed Senior Adviser and Member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.
• Dr. Belio Kipsang, previously PS for Basic Education, now moves to Immigration & Citizen Services.
• Harry Kimtai, former PS for Medical Services, reassigned to Mining.

Foreign Service Appointments

As part of the reorganization, President Ruto also made several ambassadorial postings. Among the notable names:

• Susan Nakhumicha Wafula – Permanent Representative, Kenya to the UN-Habitat, Nairobi.
• James Buyekane Muhati – Consul-General, Guangzhou, China.
• Abdi Dubat Fidhow – Consul-General, Arusha, Tanzania.
• Peter Tum – Ambassador, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Alfred Ombudo K’Ombundo – Deputy Head of Mission, Brussels, Belgium.
• Geoffrey Eyanae Kaituko – Deputy Head of Mission, Rome, Italy.

Strategic Realignment

These appointments come at a time when the Ruto administration is focusing on diplomatic engagements and economic restructuring. Analysts suggest that the changes signal a strategic shift in governance and foreign relations, ensuring that Kenya remains competitive on both the regional and global stage.