When President William Ruto reshuffled his Cabinet on October 4, political observers noted that Rebecca Miano's move from the East African Community (EAC) Ministry to the Trade docket constituted a promotion.
In her new role, Miano will be tasked with making key decisions regarding Kenya's trade policies including creating an enabling environment to attract foreign investors.
Notably, Miano's appointment also comes at a time when Kenya is set to resume trade talks with the United States (US) after CS Kuria, who was reassigned to the Public Service Ministry from the Trade docket, was left out of the high-level negotiations.
At the EAC Ministry, CS Miano was tasked with handling regional affairs and putting in place measures to address the situation in Arid and Semi Arid (ASAL) areas such as formulating drought mitigation measures.
Kenyans.co.ke profiles the new Trade CS filling Moses Kuria's shoes;
Who Is She?
Miano was born and raised in Ndaragua Constituency in Nyandarua County. She was born into a family of 14 kids and is the second last born.
She studied at Kapropita Girls School in Baringo County before joining the University of Nairobi to study law. The CS later joined the Kenya School of Law and graduated with a Diploma in Law.
The Trade CS also has Post Graduate Studies in Comparative Law from the University of Australia.
"In 2010, she completed the Advanced Management Programme from Strathmore University. She is a registered Certified Public Secretary of Kenya and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK)," reads her profile on the World Bank website.
Work Life
Despite Miano being popularly known for her stint at Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen), she started her career working at a law firm in Nairobi.
She later joined the energy sector working at Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) before being appointed as the Chief Executive Officer at KenGen in 2017. She was the first woman to hold the position at the company.
At the KenGen, she championed gender equity and founded the noble Pink Energy forum, which serves as a platform to address gender parity.
During her five-year stint at the company, she won many accolades for her role including being awarded the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) and in 2019, the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS).
She was appointed to the Cabinet in 2022 by Ruto.
Net Worth
The new Trade CS revealed that she was worth Ksh397 million during her vetting before Parliament on October 21, 2022.
Miano explained that she built her wealth together with her husband over a period spanning over 30 years.
At the time, she indicated that she and her husband have two houses — one in Nairobi and another at their rural home. She also owns three motor vehicles including a Toyota Prado, an Isuzu truck, and a Mitsubishi Pajero.
"I have a house in Nairobi, Nyahururu, the rest are properties that we (my husband and I) have acquired over the last 30 years. The value is the current market value that has appreciated over time," she revealed to the vetting committee.
