Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba have made fresh appointments and reappointments to key state boards and councils overseeing research, healthcare training, education, science and university placement.
The appointments, contained in Gazette Notices dated August 28, 2026, affect several public institutions, including the National Research Fund (NRF), National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and the Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board.
The changes come as the government continues to renew the membership of boards and councils whose role is to provide strategic direction, oversight and accountability within state agencies.
Under Kenya's public-sector governance framework, boards are responsible for providing policy guidance and overseeing the management of institutions while ensuring that public bodies operate in line with their legal mandates.
Mudavadi appointed Thomas Kiprono Serem as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the National Research Fund for a three-year term.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary also appointed Davidson M. Mwaisaka, Michael N. Walekhwa and Joel Onditi as members of the Board of NACOSTI, with each set to serve for three years.
The NRF Board of Trustees will also include Wakiuru Njuguna, Fidelis Mwaka Muia, Samuel Tiriongo and Prof Jane Catherina Ngila for another three-year term.
The appointments place new leadership in institutions at the centre of Kenya's efforts to promote scientific research and innovation.
NACOSTI is mandated to coordinate and regulate science, technology and innovation activities in Kenya, while the National Research Fund provides financial support for research programmes aimed at addressing national development priorities.
The changes therefore come at a time when the government is seeking to strengthen the contribution of research, technology and innovation to economic and social development.
In the health sector, Duale reappointed Paul Kaino Cheboi, Eunice Wangui Karanja, Hardlyne Lusui and Joseph Ouma Atonga as members of the Kenya Medical Training College Board for another three years.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale speaking during the 76th WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 25–26, 2026. PHOTO/MoH
KMTC is one of Kenya's principal institutions for training healthcare professionals and has campuses across the country. Its programmes contribute to the supply of medical personnel in areas including nursing, clinical medicine, medical laboratory sciences, pharmacy, community health and other specialised fields.
The appointments also extend to government communication and media training.
Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau reappointed Ndungu Guchu, Jimmy Munyao Mauta and Dinah Samikwo to the Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board for three years, with their new term taking effect on September 1, 2026.
Kabogo also appointed Mashati Meitamei as a member of the Council of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication for a three-year term beginning August 28.
ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo. PHOTO/Kabogo X
The education sector has also received new board leadership.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba appointed Abdi Mouild Abdi as Non-Executive Chairperson of the Council of the Kenya Institute of Special Education for a three-year term.
Ogamba further appointed Daniel Njiru Mugendi and Fred Simiyu Barasa as members of the Placement Board of KUCCPS, also for three years.
KUCCPS plays a central role in Kenya's education system by coordinating the placement of students into universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions. Its decisions affect thousands of students transitioning from secondary education into higher and technical training each year.
Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Ogamba before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education o August 5, 2026.
PHOTO/NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The latest appointments reflect the government's continued practice of renewing and restructuring boards as terms expire and vacancies arise.
They also place officials in institutions with significant responsibilities for public education, scientific research, healthcare workforce development and government communication.
With the appointments taking effect on the dates specified in the respective Gazette Notices, the new and returning board members will be expected to provide oversight and strategic direction for the institutions during their three-year terms.
The changes come against the broader backdrop of government efforts to improve the performance and accountability of state agencies, with boards expected to ensure that public institutions remain focused on their statutory mandates and deliver services to Kenyans.