President William Ruto has appointed Samuel Muchina Nyaga as a member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC).

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Muchina, who flew the flag of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the just-concluded Ol Kalou by-election , will take the spot of Amos Chege Mugo, whose appointment has been revoked.

The appointment, as confirmed by a special gazette notice obtained by Kenyans.co.ke on July 22, follows the contentious July 16 by-election, where Muchina lost by a landslide vote to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) Sammy Douglas Kamau.

" IT IS notified for the general information of the public that, pursuant to Gazette Notice No. 13907 of 2024, as read together with section 51 (1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint—SAMUEL MUCHINA NYAGA to be a Member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, with effect from the 22nd July, 2026," the notice stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

As a board member, Muchina will be mandated to coordinate multi-agency efforts aimed at reclaiming, rehabilitating, and restoring the ecological integrity of the Nairobi River Basin, with a vision of transforming the city's rivers into vibrant green-blue infrastructure.

He will also be required to provide strategic oversight by formulating and supervising restoration programmes while spearheading stakeholder coordination and aligning government institutions, county authorities, private sector players, and civil society organisations to ensure cohesive, unified rehabilitation efforts across the basin.

On matters of compliance, as part of the board, he will also monitor adherence to environmental laws governing the river basin and develop enforceable codes of conduct, while simultaneously driving public engagement, raising awareness, encouraging community participation, and facilitating sensitive discussions on riparian land use.

Beyond regulation, he will be tasked with resource mobilisation, designing innovative financing mechanisms, and establishing a dedicated Trust Fund to sustainably sponsor long-term river regeneration projects, ensuring the initiative's continuity extends well beyond immediate rehabilitation phases.

Muchina also revealed on the morning of July 22 , after he visited State House, that President Ruto tasked him to oversee all the developments that were kick-started during the campaign period, signalling that they will proceed despite the election outcomes.

Among the confirmed ongoing projects are 36 electrification initiatives across the constituency, housing construction for vulnerable families, and borehole completion in every ward.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke