Profiles of Kenya's Cabinet Secretaries Nominees

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have today unveiled twelve more cabinet secretaries nominees to bring the number to sixteen out of the eighteen who will make up the new cabinet.

Here are the 16 Cabinet Secretaries Nominees

Amb. Rachel Awuor Omamo, Ministry of Defence

Studied Law at the University of Kent at Canterbury in the UK.
Senior Counsel, has been an Advocate of the High Court of 27 years standing.

She was the First Woman Chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya
First woman Ambassador of Kenya to France, Portugal, The Holy See and the Republic of Serbia and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Kenya to UNESCO.

Rayechelle has made substantial contribution to the advancement of the rule of law in Kenya and to the development of legislation and policy, for example:

Member of the Task Force on the Establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Kenya;

Member of the Task Force on the Review of Landlord and Tenant Legislation;
Assisting Counsel to the Ndungu Commission:

She was the Jurist of the Year 2002.

Adan Mohammed - Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development

Born December 1963 in Mandera.

Adan has worked for Barclays Bank for over 15 years in different parts of the world.  He has been the CEO of Barclays Kenya for a period of 10 years that has seen the Bank grow from strength to strength.  In recognition of his contribution, Barclays Group recently promoted him to the role of Chief Administrative Officer with responsibilities for 10 countries in Africa.

Prior to Barclays, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers for a period of 7 years in London where he trained as a Chartered Accountant.
An MBA graduate of Harvard Business School in the US, Adan is also a First Class Bcomm degree graduate from the University of Nairobi.

Adan is married to Nafisa and has 5 children.

Anne Waiguru - Ministry of Devolution and Planning

Ms Anne Waiguru has an academic background and experience in economic and public policy. She holds a Masters degree in Economic Policy from the University of Nairobi, and, has specialized experience in public finance, financial management systems, public service reform and capacity building, and, governance.

Ms Waiguru is the Director, Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS), and, Head of Governance at the National Treasury.  She served briefly as a Senior Public Sector Manager/ Assistant Vice President, at Citigroup NA. Previously, Ms. Waiguru served as a Technical Advisor in the Cabinet Office, Office of the President. This position was initially seconded by the World Bank (DC).

In the last two years, Ms Waiguru has led her IFMIS team at the National Treasury to win three Awards for exemplary performance in the Public Service. She was also nominated two years ago, as one of the Top 40 Under 40 women in the country, the only nominee at the time from the Public service.

Ms. Waiguru has been published, and has served as the Alternate to the Permanent Secretary/National Treasury in the Public Procurement oversight Authority Advisory Board, and, the Women Enterprise Fund Board. Ms Waiguru is a proud mother of three sons, Ian, Don and Wabu aged seventeen (17), fourteen (14) and nine (9) respectively.

Dr. Hassan Wario - Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts

He is a Honorary Fellow of the International College of Dentists.

Previously has held several key positions such as:

President of the Commonwealth Dental Association
Head of the National Dental Unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Felix Kiptarus Kosgey - Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries

Mr. Koskei was born in 1964.  He joined University of Nairobi in 1987 and graduated with BSC Honours Degree in 1990. He did his MBA in Strategic Management in 2003 at the University of Nairobi.

He joined Kenya Posts and Telecommunication Corporation in 1990.  In 2007 he joined Kenya Civil Aviation Authority as Manager Procurement where he served for 2 years.  In 2009, he joined Kenya National Highways Authority and rose through the ranks to become General Manager, Supply Chain and Support Services.

He has undertaken professional courses in Supply Chain Management offered by Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply having completed his graduate diploma.

He is trained in Road Asset Management Systems and Strategic Level Planning by University of Brunswick, Canada.  He also trained in Implementing successful and Effective Public Private Partnerships in University of Botswana.

He is married to Margaret and has 4 children, 1 boy and 3 girls.
 
Eng. Michael S. Kamau - Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure

Born in 1958.  He is married with two children and has been in the Civil Service since 1981.  He was seconded to Moi University in Eldoret for seven years between 1990 – 1998.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Nairobi, Master of Science in Engineering from the University of New Castle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
He has received extensive training in the field of engineering and management both locally and internationally.

His is registered as a Professional Consulting Engineer by Engineers Board of Kenya.  He is a fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya and also a fellow of the Kenya Institute of Management.  He is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

 He has been a Permanent Secretary since October, 2007 and a key architect in the infrastructure upgrade in the last 10 years.

Prof. Judy Wangalwa Wakhungu - Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources

Holder of a PHD in Energy Resources Management.  She is currently the Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies. 

She is also Energy Advisor to the Energy Sector Management Program of World Bank and Advisor at the Legatum Centre at MIT.

She is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Management of Social Transformation Programme.

Najib Balala - Ministry of Mining

Born 20th September 1967.

He served in four (4) Ministries and best was Ministry of Tourism. He was elected President of UNWTO.  Was best Minister of Tourism in Africa by the African Investor.
He has Experience in Private Business.

He attended a leadership course at JF Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and also a course in Urban Management at the University of Toronto. 

He served as Member of Parliament for Mvita for 10 years.  He is married to Najaah and have four (4) children – 2 girls, 2 boys.

Davis Chirchir - Ministry of Energy and Petroleum

Mr.Chirchir has a depth of experience in project development, management and execution and is skilled in strategic analysis and financial management.

He previously served as a Commissioner at the Interim Independent Electoral Commission.
Previously General Manager at Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation he coordinated the restructuring of KPTC to create Telkom Kenya, Communication Commission of Kenya, Postal Corporation of Kenya and staff Pension Fund.

He also coordinated the privatization of Telkom Kenya and establishment of Safaricom.
Mr. Chirchir holds a Masters of Business Administration in International Management from Royal Holloway School of Management, University of London and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Physics from the University of Nairobi.

He is 53 years and married with four children.

Phillis Jepkosgey Kandie - Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism

Mrs. Kandie was born in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County 48 years ago.
In 1986, she joined St. Mary’s University, Canada for her undergraduate where she attained a B.Com (Economics) Degree.  She then proceeded to Middlesex University, United Kingdom in 1991 and Durham University, UK for her MBA and further training.

She is married to Ambassador Julius Kandie and blessed with two children, Lawrence and Simon.
She is an investment banker and is currently engaged as a Director, Investment Advisory Services at Standard Investment Bank.  She has also served as a regulator within the Capital Markets, energy and agricultural sector.

Previously, she was a Business Advisory Consultant for the SME sector having consulted for the World Bank and European Union.

She has served in several Boards including the Kenya Revenue Authority.


Charity Ngilu - Ministry of Lands and Urban Development

Born in Machakos District in 1952

Worked for the Central Bank of Kenya and Chase Manhattan for 10 years
Managed family businesses for 8 years.

Served as a Member of Parliament for Kitui Central Constituency for 20 years
Served as Minister of Water, Irrigation where under her leadership increased the number of people accessing safe clean water from 17 million to 24 million in 5 years.

Served as a Minister of Health, where under her leadership patients living with AIDS accessed drugs, reduced malaria infection, reduced infant and maternal mortality
Holds a BA in Leadership & Management.

Married to late Eng Michael Ngilu
Has three (3) children

Henry K Rotich, Ministry of National Treasury
Age: 44  Married with two sons.

• Holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University.
• Holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from University of Nairobi and Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (First Class Honors) from the same University.
• Served at the Central Bank of Kenya, since 1994.
• Head of Macroeconomics at the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, since March, 2006.   
• Work as an economist for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nairobi.
• Consulted as a short-term macroeconomic expert in the region – in Mozambique, Malawi and Rwanda with the IMF’s East AFRITAC (in Tanzania) and Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute (MEFMI) in Zimbabwe.
• Part of designers of macroeconomic convergence criteria of the proposed East African Monetary Union. 

Dr Fred Matiang’i Okengo, Ministry of Information Communication and Technology.
Born in Borabu Married and has two children

• Taught at Egerton University and the University of Nairobi.
• Consulted previously for among others the World Bank, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme.
• Immediate former Country Director of the Kenya Parliamentary Support Programme.
• Leaving his current position as the Eastern Africa regional Representative for the Centre for International Development, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, the State University of New York. 

James Wainaina Macharia, Health 
Age: 53 Married with two children

• Top in class for both “O” levels and “A” Levels (Kagumo High School, Nyeri). 
• Attained Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) University of Nairobi – 1983
• Selected by Deloitte & Touche to train as a Chartered Accountant in London, UK.
• Qualified CPA(K). 
• Holds MBA Degree from Henley Management College, UK.
• Joined Standard Chartered Bank in 1989, rising to become Financial Controller in 1994.
• Worked in Zambia as Managing Director, African Banking Corporation, and later transferred to Tanzania in the same position.
• Group Managing Director with NIC Bank from 2005 to-date

Amb. Amina Mohammed, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 Married to Mr. Ahmed and has two children.

• Lawyer and diplomat by profession and has served in the public service since 1985.
• Former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme at Nairobi.
• Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs. 
• Former Ambassador of Kenya to the United Nations at Geneva.
• Served in the Ministries of Local Government, Foreign Affairs and Justice.

Other Appointments

1. Francis Kimemia – Secretary to the Cabinet

2. Lwarence Lenayapa – Comptroller of State House

The president has said that the two remaining ministries – the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services – will be filled in the due course.

Source PPS