President William Ruto has stirred political chatter after making a fresh round of high-profile parastatal appointments, handing influential posts to political allies, loyalists, and powerful families.
In a move that has drawn public attention, Alvin Habwe Wetangula, son of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, has been reappointed to the Board of Directors of the Kenya Railways Corporation for another three years — securing his influence in one of the country’s most strategic state corporations.
The appointments, contained in the latest gazette notice, also saw Dr. Musangi named as the non-executive Chairperson of the Council of Garissa University, Professor Stanley Khainga to head the Council of Kaimosi Friends University College, and Habat Sheikh Abdi retained as Chairperson of the Kenya Institute of Special Education.
At the Coast, Hafswa Abdalla Dele, Judith Wabosha Mwamburi, and Mohamed Masoud Mwahima were reappointed to the Board of Directors of the Coast Water Works Development Agency, cementing their positions in the region’s water governance structure.
In another notable change, Charles Kamau Karondo was appointed as the non-executive Chairperson of the Communications Authority — a regulator that oversees Kenya’s multibillion-shilling telecommunications sector.
Meanwhile, controversial businesswoman Mary Wambui will now chair the Athi Water Works Development Agency, while Shallow Abdullahi Yahya has been reappointed to lead the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) for three more years.
Political observers say the appointments highlight Ruto’s strategy of consolidating power by rewarding loyalty and strategically positioning trusted allies and political heavyweights in agencies that control critical resources and influence.
