President William Ruto Appoints Nelson Marwa to Nairobi Rivers Commission, Revokes Bishop Wanjiru

President William Ruto, exercising powers under Article 131 of the Constitution and Section 51(1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, appointed Nelson Marwa as chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission for a three-year term effective October 16, 2026, as recorded in Gazette Notice No 16248.

The same Gazette Notice formally revoked the appointment of Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, who had been chair since late October 2024.

Bishop Wanjiru, presiding bishop of Jesus Is Alive Ministries and former Starehe MP, submitted a 30-day resignation notice to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei in August 2026, indicating she would vacate the post on August 31, 2026 to focus on other commitments.

In a letter to Koskei, Wanjiru thanked the president for the opportunity and said the 20 months in the commission had been a learning experience; she has since announced her intention to contest the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on a Kenya Moja Movement ticket and endorsed former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i for the 2027 presidential election.

Nelson Marwa brings extensive public-service experience, having served as Devolution Principal Secretary since January 2018 under former President Uhuru Kenyatta and previously as Coast Regional Commissioner and Mombasa County Commissioner, where he oversaw security operations against drug trafficking and had public disagreements with then-Governor Hassan Joho.

Marwa also held senior security coordination roles, earned three master’s degrees, was born in Kuria, Migori County, grew up in Tanzania and Uganda, and began his career as a junior district officer in Nyeri before postings in Kinango, the Rift Valley and Mombasa.

Nairobi Rivers Commission Chief Executive Officer Brigadier (Rtd) Joseph Muracia welcomed Marwa, noting his background in public administration, government coordination and security management and expressing confidence in advancing the commission’s mandate.

The commission, now under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, is tasked with coordinating multi-sectoral efforts to rehabilitate the Nairobi River Basin, which spans Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties, addressing pollution, encroachment and environmental degradation.

Earlier in 2026, President Ruto appointed former United Democratic Alliance candidate Samuel Muchina to the commission and revoked the term of Amos Chege Mugo, indicating a broader pattern of changes at the agency.