President Ruto Revokes Appointments of Joe Owaka Ager and Kiema Mwandia

President William Ruto has revoked the appointments of two state officials, Joe Owaka Ager and Kiema Mwandia, as per a gazette notice issued recently. The decision, whose reasons remain undisclosed, takes effect immediately.

Joe Owaka Ager, who was serving as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya, has been relieved of his duties. Owaka, a known ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga, previously served as the Chair of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) from 2018 to 2021 under former President Uhuru Kenyatta. He also held the position of General Manager at the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) between 2010 and 2015.

More recently, President Ruto appointed Owaka as Secretary of Governance, despite earlier pledges to cut down on the number of advisors as part of austerity measures. His sudden removal raises questions about the shifting political landscape and internal government restructuring.

The second revocation affects Kiema Mwandia, a key political figure in Kitui County and a close ally of President Ruto. Mwandia, who was serving as a member of the Tanathi Water Works Development Agency Board, also had his appointment terminated with immediate effect. As the county coordinator for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Kitui, his dismissal could signal realignments within the ruling party’s grassroots leadership.

These terminations come shortly after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba revoked the appointment of Francis Meja as a member of the Murang’a University of Technology Council. Meja, a former Director General of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), was removed following his recent swearing-in as a member of the Public Service Commission (PSC) on January 20, 2025.

The government has not provided official reasons for the revocations, fueling speculation about political maneuvering, governance restructuring, or policy shifts within state agencies. Observers will be keen to see whether further changes will follow in the coming days.