President William Ruto has appointed retired Kenya Air Force Commander Major General Jofidha Otieno Makowenga to chair the Kenya Space Agency board.
In an official notice dated Friday, November 29, the president revealed that the retired general will head the board for three years starting yesterday.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Kenya Space Agency Order, 2017, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint Major General (Rtd) Jofidha Otieno Makowenga to be the Chairperson of the Kenya Space Agency Board,” the notice read.
Otieno takes over from General (Rtd) James Aruasa, the inaugural Chairperson of the Board of Directors. The choice to keep the position within the military is strategic, with space being a crucial area for both security and communications of the country.
Major General (Rtd)Jofidha Otieno Makowenga appointed by Ruto to be the chairperson of the Kenya space agency board
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File
Major General (Rtd) James Aruasa chaired the board for six years before stepping down in November 2024.
Before his retirement in 2014, Otieno served as the Kenya Air Force Commander. Maj-Gen (Rtd) Otieno, an engineer, is a decorated officer who played a significant role in operations against Al-Shabaab in Somalia.
He was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) and the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2014.
The president’s appointment of Maj-Gen (Rtd) Otieno comes a week after appointing former Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General (Rtd) Robert Kibochi to chair the board of Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital.
Kibochi is appointed for a period of three years, effective November 22, 2024. In a series of appointments on the same date, the president also appointed former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo to lead the Board of Directors of the newly formed Kenya Sugar Board.
Former Kesses MP Swarup Mishra also landed a job after Ruto appointed him to chair the Board of Directors of Kenya Biovax Institute Limited.
“I appoint Dr. Swarup Mishra to be the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Kenya Biovax Institute Limited, for three years, with effect from November 22, 2024,” the notice continued.
A collage image of Rtd General Robert Kibochi, Former Kesses MP Swarup Mishra & Former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, November 21, 2024.
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Kenya Defense, Swarup Mishra, Nicholas Gumbo