President William Ruto has revoked the appointments of three board members of the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade).
According to a gazette notice dated December 5, 2025, Ruto revoked the appointment of Basil Criticos from his position as Chairperson of the Board.
Also revoked are the appointments of board members Paul Mwiti Mucheke and Abubakar Ketemon.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7(3) of the State Corporations Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, revoke the appointments of *Basil Criticos as the Chairperson, *Paul Mwiti Mucheke and *Abubakar Ketemon as members of the Board of Kenya Trade Network Agency, with effect from the 5th December, 2025,” the notice reads.
The revocations take effect immediately.
Criticos, a former Taita-Taveta MP and a key ally of President Ruto, was appointed to the agency in May 2023.
KenTrade, a state corporation under the National Treasury and Economic Planning, is mandated to facilitate cross-border trade through the implementation and management of the National Electronic Single Window System.
The agency’s board plays a critical role in providing oversight and strategic policy direction.
In another gazette notice, the President re-appointed David Wamtsi Omusotsi as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Council of Kenya Utalii College, extending his tenure for a further three years.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 20(2)(a) of the Tourism Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces re-appoint David Wamtsi Omusotsi as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Council of the Kenya Utalii College, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 5th December, 2025,” the notice stated.
Omusotsi will continue to steer the council of the state-run hospitality training institution, which plays a central role in producing skilled professionals for Kenya’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
His renewed mandate comes at a time when the government is pushing for reforms and improvements in tourism training to enhance service standards and competitiveness in the sector.
Kenya Utalii College, established in 1975, remains one of the region’s leading hospitality training centres, and its council is tasked with oversight of academic standards, institutional development, and policy implementation.
