President William Ruto has renewed the appointment of Wajir politician Shallow Abdullahi Yahya as the non-executive Chairperson of the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).
The announcement was made through a gazette notice, confirming that Yahya will continue serving for another three years at the helm of the state agency.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 8 (1)(a) of the National Drought Management Authority Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, reappoint Shallow Abdullahi Yahya to be the non-executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Drought Management Authority, for three years,” the notice read in part.
Yahya was first appointed to the role by President Ruto and assumed office in early 2024, succeeding Raphael Nzomo. Before joining NDMA, he was actively involved in politics and contested the Wajir senatorial seat in the 2022 General Election.
In that race, he faced stiff competition from Abass Sheikh Mohamed, eventually losing by a narrow margin after garnering 33,580 votes against Mohamed’s 36,201.
Despite the loss, Yahya remained determined to pursue public office. On July 12, 2024, he publicly announced that members of his community had endorsed him to run for the Wajir North parliamentary seat in the upcoming 2027 General Election.
In his renewed term, Yahya is expected to provide strategic leadership to the NDMA board, ensuring that the authority delivers on its mandate to prevent and reduce the impacts of drought on communities, livelihoods, and the environment.
NDMA’s responsibilities include establishing and running drought early warning systems, developing national and county contingency plans, and improving coordination between government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and local communities in responding to drought emergencies.
The reappointment of Yahya comes as part of a series of recent leadership changes by President Ruto. It follows the appointment of Charles Karondo as the Chairperson of the Communications Authority, a move that also saw the revocation of the appointment of Mary Wambui, popularly known as “Wambui wa Ruto,” from the same position.
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