President William Ruto has appointed 14 individuals in the latest round of government appointments, amongst them Cabinet Secretaries and Law Society of Kenya Chair Faith Odhiambo.
As per a gazette notice, Ruto appointed Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, Treasury CS John Mbadi, Trade CS Lee Kinyanjui, Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe and Environment CS Deborah Barasa to serve as members in the powerful Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council between Kenya, a member of the East African Community, and the European Union. Kinyanjui will serve as the co-chair of the Council.
The establishment of the EPA Council aims to oversee and facilitate a strong relationship between Kenya and the EU to protect Kenya’s interests as safeguarded within the agreement.
Kenya and the European Union signed the EPA in May 2024 at the State House in Nairobi, with the ceremony attended by the EU delegation in Kenya, led by Ambassador Henriette Geiger. During the ceremony, Ruto expressed his optimism about the agreement and highlighted its potential substantial benefits for the country.
This partnership aims to enhance trade and create economic opportunities between Kenya and European countries, ultimately focusing on advancing Kenya’s economic development.
Under this agreement, all exports from Kenya receive duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market (except for arms), while Kenya will gradually open its market to imports from the EU.
In addition to the council appointments, Ruto also appointed the Selection Panel for the Recruitment of Nominees for Appointment as the Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. The appointments, which total eight members, also include LSK chair Faith Odhiambo.
Other members of the panel include former Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) chair Joe Ager, Lawrence Muiruri, Jackline Nekesa Makokha, and Irene Cherotich Asienga.
Additional members are Kathurima Hiram Kirimi, Catherine Wameyo, and Kenneth Wyne Mutuma. This move comes nearly three months after the death of the Commission’s former Chairperson, Roseline Odhiambo Odede, who passed away in January after a short illness.
As per the law, members of the Selection Panel are nominated by the Office of the President, the Office of the Attorney-General, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya), the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), and the Public Service Commission (PSC). The panel also includes two persons nominated by the Association of Professional Societies in East Africa (APSEA).
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Odhiambo confirmed that her appointment followed her nomination by APSEA to the panel.
As part of their mandate, the panel will, within seven days of convening, invite applications from qualified individuals and publish the names and qualifications of all applicants in the Gazette and two daily newspapers of national circulation.
Within seven days of receiving applications, the panel will consider them, interview, and shortlist at least three qualified candidates for the chairperson position, before forwarding the names of the selected candidates to the President for nomination.
In addition to commissioning the panel, Ruto also named Isaac Muthure Macharia as the new Chancellor of Karatina University. Macharia will serve a term of five years.
