Awards Committee-27 April – 1 May 2026
His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto was sworn in on September 13, 2022, after winning the Presidential election.
He was elected on August 9, 2022 on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, a principal party, in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Before ascending to be President, Dr Ruto served as the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya from April 3, 2013 to September 12, 2022.
Political History
The President was first elected Member of Parliament for Eldoret North constituency on the Kenya African National Union (KANU) ticket. He served three terms - (1997-2013).
In 2002, he was a key campaigner for Uhuru Kenyatta and KANU, but they lost the election to Mwai Kibaki of the National Rainbow Coalition, who became the third President of Kenya.
During this period in the opposition, he served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Reform in the 9th Parliament starting and leading the process of assembling the team and setting up the structures that put Kenya on the road to a new constitution.
He was elected KANU secretary general in 2005.
Dr Ruto has held several leadership positions in Government.
He was appointed Minister for Agriculture in the Coalition Government that was formed in 2008 and served for three years. During his tenure, he revived irrigation schemes and provided affordable fertilizer to farmers while working with maize, sugarcane, coffee and tea sectors to boost productivity and secure access to markets.
He was later appointed as the Minister of Higher Education where he sought to define education as acquisition of knowledge and skilling as well as elaborate policy on its value.
EARLY LIFE
Dr. Ruto was born on December 21, 1966, in Sambut, Kamagut Location in Uasin Gishu County, in the Rift Valley.
He attended Sambut Primary School and later joined Wareng Secondary School in Eldoret, before proceeding to Kapsabet High in Nandi County for his ‘A’ Levels. Thereafter, he was admitted to the University of Nairobi to study Botany and Zoology.
In 2008, he graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Plant Ecology and in December 2018 graduated with a PHD in Plant Ecology from the same university.
Dr Ruto is married to Rachel Chebet Ruto and they have seven children.
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Policy Platform
Dr Ruto campaigned to be President on a platform of economic transformation and inclusivity for the everyday Kenyan, winning in an unprecedented first attempt.
Prior to ascending to the office of President, Dr Ruto worked with President Uhuru Kenyatta to form the Jubilee Alliance in 2012. The alliance brought together the United Republic Party (URP) led by Dr Ruto and the National Alliance Party (TNA) led by President Kenyatta and went on to win presidential elections in 2013 and 2017.
Sammy Chepkwony is the Chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. He is a strategic leader and consultant with more than 20 years of expertise in human resource management, operations, and corporate governance.
Chepkwony held prominent leadership roles across diverse sectors. He served as Regional Director for Human Resources (HR) at Aga Khan University, Group HR Director at Kenya Airways, and Director of HR at Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd. His career began as a Senior Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he provided HR advisory services to public and private sector clients across East Africa.
As a recognised organisational transformation leader, he has led multi-track HR projects that set strategic directions, policies, and frameworks for effective talent management and business process improvement.
He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Nairobi, and has enhanced his leadership skills through programmes at Harvard Business School and other esteemed institutions. As a member of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Human Resources Management of Kenya, he remains committed to driving excellence in HR and governance.
Commissioner Francis Meja was appointed Member of the Public Service Commission by His Excellency the President with approval of the National Assembly and sworn into office on 20th January, 2025. He chairs the Commission’s Standing Committee on Human Resource Planning, Recruitment and Selection and is also a member of the Standing Committee on Public Affairs, Communication and Digital Transformation, and Organizational Design and Career Development.
Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the Muranga University Council. He previously served as Director General of the National Transport and Safety Authority, and Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
Commissioner Meja has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in strategic management, having been in the transport and banking sectors for over 15 years. He is a specialist in information technology, road transport and transport logistics.
Commissioner Meja holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Administration from the University of Marathwada in India
CPA Kithinji Kiragu has had a distinguished career, culminating in his appointment as the Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) by former President Uhuru Kenyatta CGH on March 31, 2022. He has a solid educational foundation, with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Additionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant in Kenya.
Over the last thirty years, Mr. Kiragu has been extensively involved as a consultant and adviser to governments and development partners, including the World Bank and UK-DFID. His expertise spans institutional and political economy analysis, organizational and human resources development, public finance management, and governance. Notably, he served as the Chief Technical Adviser for Public Sector Reforms for the Government of Tanzania from 1995 to 1998, and as Strategy Adviser for the reform of Nigeria's Federal Public Service in 2009-2010. He has also published extensively on topics related to public sector management, political economy, and governance.
Mr. Kiragu began his career in accounting and auditing, spending three years lecturing on these subjects at the University of Nairobi. His professional path led him to Coopers & Lybrand, where he developed a career in management and economics consulting. He later founded KK Consulting Associates, which merged with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2002. At PwC, he served as a Partner/Director with responsibility for public sector advisory services in the Africa Central Region until 2007, after which he joined the Africa Development Professional Group in a similar role. Between 2009 and 2012, Mr. Kiragu was the Chairman of the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) in Kenya’s Office of the President.
In recent years, Mr. Kiragu has been a member of the Board of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital, where he chaired the Board’s Committee for Strategy, Finance & Corporate Services. Beyond his professional endeavours, he has been involved in entrepreneurship, including being a majority shareholder in Solid Investment Securities Limited, which was acquired by NIC Bank in 2008. He is also an active investor in education and farming and enjoys playing golf. His extensive experience and leadership in public sector management and governance continue to contribute significantly to Kenya’s development.
Born in 1954, Philip Mongóny has over 30 years’ experience in the human resources practice and consultancy. He has worked with the Directorate of Personnel Management, Office of the President, Kenya National Trading Corporation and East African Portland Cement as the Head of Human Resource before moving to Consultancy in Human Resources and Real Estate Business.
He is a member of the Kenya Institute of Personnel Management, and holds a Master of Personnel Management (MPM) and a Bachelors of Commerce (Business Administration Option) degrees.
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 26 (1) (a) of the State Corporations Act, His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya re-appointed Phillip Mong'ony as the Chairperson of the State Corporations Advisory Committee, for another period of three (3) years, with effect from the 20th January, 2026.
Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir is a distinguished Kenyan politician and two-term Governor of Wajir County. With a robust background in commerce and extensive experience in auditing and finance, he transitioned into politics in 2007. Since assuming office in 2013, Jiir has championed transformative initiatives in infrastructure, healthcare, and water resource management, significantly enhancing the quality of life in Wajir.
His leadership has earned him prestigious accolades, including The Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya, recognizing his unwavering commitment to public service and community development. Jiir is also a Fellowship Certified Public Accountant (FCPA), the highest rank in accounting. Currently, he serves as the Vice Chair for the Council of Governors, playing a crucial role in national policy and governance.