President William Samoei Ruto has announced a series of strategic appointments to key state corporations and statutory bodies, reinforcing leadership across critical sectors including forestry, sports, tourism, arbitration, agriculture, and wildlife conservation.
The appointments, published in various Gazette Notices dated February 6, 2026, take effect immediately and are valid for a period of three years.
Under the notices, Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Walter Raria Koipaton was appointed as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). The appointment was made pursuant to Section 6 (1) (a) of the State Corporations Act and Section 16 (2) and Paragraph 2 of the Fourth Schedule of the Science, Technology and Innovation Act, 2013. KEFRI is mandated to conduct research and provide scientific guidance on sustainable forest management, a critical function as the government continues to advance climate action and reforestation programmes aimed at increasing national forest cover.
Maj. Gen. Alphazard Muthuri Kiugu was appointed Chairperson of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya under Section 10 (1) (a) of the Anti-Doping Act. This appointment, which also revoked previous notices, reinforces the agency’s role in safeguarding the integrity of Kenyan sports amid increasing international scrutiny.
In the tourism sector, Mahmud Jan Mohamed was named Non-Executive Chairperson of the Council of Kenya Utalii College under Section 20 (2) (a) of the Tourism Act, published in Gazette Notice No. 1431. The appointment revoked previous notices and positions the college to continue leading in hospitality training, a cornerstone of Kenya’s tourism industry.
Through separate notices, Rina Chatrath was appointed Chairperson of the Sports and Arts Fund Board under Regulation 8 (4) of the Public Finance Management (Sports and Arts Fund) Regulations. Simultaneously, George Kithi was named Non-Executive Chairperson of the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA) Board pursuant to Section 6 (1) (a) of the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration Act. The NCIA plays a pivotal role in establishing Kenya as a regional hub for arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.
In Gazette Notice No. 1435, Patrick Mukundi Mbogo was appointed Chairperson of the Warehouse Receipt System Council under Section 3 (3) (a) of the Warehouse Receipt System Act, 2019, revoking the previous appointment of Felicity Nkirote Biriri (G.N. 8467/2023). The council oversees a framework that enables farmers to use stored produce as collateral to access credit, supporting the growth of agricultural value chains.
Additionally, Joseph Lagat was appointed Non-Executive Chairperson of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Board under Section 8 (2) (a) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013. KWS is tasked with the conservation and management of wildlife, a key pillar of Kenya’s biodiversity protection and tourism sector.
These appointments reflect the government’s commitment to strengthening leadership across strategic institutions as part of ongoing reforms and sectoral transformation agendas.
