Uhuru makes major changes in Kenya’s parastatal sector
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past event. PHOTO |FILE
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The list of board members seen by the Sunday Nation features numerous new names, including a notably younger profile of officials, but several political nominees are among those tipped to offer strategic direction to state bodies.
Nairobi, Sunday. President Uhuru Kenyatta has made far-reaching changes in the parastatal sector, naming more than 350 appointees as he seeks to stamp his authority on the crucial sector at the mid-point of his first term in office.
The list of board members seen by the Sunday Nation features numerous new names, including a notably younger profile of officials, but several political nominees are among those tipped to offer strategic direction to state bodies.
The publication of the names of new board members follows lengthy deliberations within the government as the Jubilee administration effectively weeds out numerous appointees of the Kibaki-Odinga grand coalition whose performance was not seen as matching the objectives of the Jubilee government.
Among key parastatals where Mr Kenyatta has introduced changes are the Kenya Airports Authority and the Kenya Railway Corporation.
Big names in the corporate sector are among those who have been asked to join the Vision 2030 Delivery Board, which will be tasked with playing a more prominent advisory role to the Presidency.
Kenya Commercial Bank chief executive Joshua Oigara joins Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore on the board where they will serve alongside Juliana Rotich, the youthful technologist best known for her role in the Ushahidi open source software development programme.
Others on the board include former ambassador Dennis Awori and General Motors chief executive Rita Kavashe.
The new changes will also see several parastatals being restructured or having their goals redefined.
An insider familiar with the process leading up to the formulation of the list said the Betting Control and Licensing Board had been asked to expand its role and, along the UK model, tap the growing resources in the betting sector to finance national sports teams.
