Ruto Names New Registrar of Political Parties
President William Ruto has made new appointments to key positions in government, nominating John Cox Lorionokou as the new Registrar of Political Parties. He also named Agatha Wanjiku Wahome to serve as the Assistant Registrar of Political Parties.
In an official statement released on Friday, August 15, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed confirmed the nominations. At the same time, President Ruto has proposed Claris Awuor Onganga to be the new Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
This latest nomination comes after Prof. Duncan Ojwang declined his earlier nomination to chair the commission. He stepped down citing personal reasons and a possible conflict of interest. Prof. Ojwang had initially been nominated on August 5 after the passing of former KNCHR chairperson Roseline Odhiambo Odede.
Following his withdrawal, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed the parliamentary committee responsible for legal affairs to stop any further consideration of Ojwang’s name.
All the newly nominated names have now been officially forwarded to the National Assembly for vetting and approval, as required under the Constitution of Kenya.
These appointments come just a week after the Public Service Commission (PSC) released a shortlist of 10 candidates for the position of Registrar of Political Parties.
Those shortlisted included: Ali Abdullah Surrar (the current Acting Registrar), Sophia Sitati, Geoffrey Obonyo, Everlyne Koiyan, Alloys Ndege, Mercy Wambua, Dr. Manana Rodgers, Rahma Jillo, John Cox Lorionokou, and Florence Tabu Birya.
The interviews for this position were conducted on August 11, 2025, at the PSC offices along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi.
Similarly, the Assistant Registrar’s position also attracted 10 shortlisted individuals: Seth Onyango, Simon Nyamolo, Josephine Ergaoe, Chebet Koske, Julius Cheche, Peter Muthui, Agatha Wahome, Mohammed Abdullahi Abdi, Robert Borter, and Gilbert Opanga.
The recruitment process began shortly after Sophia Sitati was appointed as Acting Registrar, taking over from Ann Nderitu, who vacated the position after she was appointed a Commissioner at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
These new nominations show that the President is moving quickly to fill important public offices and strengthen key institutions, especially those dealing with human rights and political party oversight.
Kenyans will now be waiting for Parliament to conduct vetting and approve or reject the nominees based on their experience and suitability for these national roles.
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