President William Ruto has reorganised the government, creating seven new State departments in what is expected to increase the wage bill.
In March this year, the President already nominated seven individuals as PSs for the new departments the head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, announced in the June 9, 2025 circular released on Thursday.
In the Koskei release, the only alteration was taking the Science, Research, and Innovation to the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary while it would naturally fall under Education.
In the list of new PSs were Abdulrazak Shaukut for Science, Research and Innovation; Cyrell Wagunda Odede (Public Investmnets and Assets Management); Ahmed Abdisalam (National Government Co-ordination); and, Teresiah Mbaika who was nominated to Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Other nominees were Ismael Madey for Special Programmes while Judith Pareno got the sensitive Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs. Also making the list was Carren Ageng’o who was named to Children Services.
Critically for Education, eyes will be on the government on how it will re-tool science, research and innovation against the backdrop of perennial search for enhanced research budget that falls far below the global average measured as a fraction of gross domestic product (GDP).
Under the curriculum-based education, the government has created three career pathways, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics, making the new Innovation department a key plank in the governmen’s search for fast progress. The other two routes that start from Grade 10 or Senior School are humanities and the arts, including sports.
Already, there are more than 50 PSs, revealing the headache of working with a lean team to deliver services at a time the wage bill has hit an all-time high.
According to the salaries agency SRC, a PS earns a gross Sh792,519 monthly. Apart from the pay, the accounting officers are on generous car loans, insurance cover, gratuity, and other benefits.
In the past, there have been a certain cadre of ‘super PSs’ who are head-hunted from well-paying international jobs that allow them to ask for top dollar when joining government. During President Mwai Kibaki’s time as Kenya’s third head of State, there was ruckus when some PSs (then known as permanent secretaries) were earning almost thrice what their colleagues were paid.
In the June 9, 2025 circular, Koskei announced the changes as part of a new directive issued through Executive Order No. 1 of 2025 that replaces the Executive Order No. 2 of 2023.
Apart from the Science docket in the new changes, focus will be of the Justice, Human Rights, and Constitutional Affairs department, partly with the rising wave of agitation driven by the youth, popularly known as GenZs, some of whom have been abducted and tortured to death.
In the latest case of extra-judicial killings, the government has come under fire over the death a teacher-cum-blogger Albert Ojwang’, 31, who pathologists said was killed in police cells at the Central Police Station in Nairobi.
According to the new structure, the departments of National Government Co-ordination and Science, Research and Innovation will be housed at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Aviation and Aerospace has been placed under the Ministry of Roads and Transport, while Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs is at the State Law Office.
Public Investments and Assets Management is at the Treasury while Special Programmes goes to the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes.
The State Department for Children Services will be part of the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services.
