President Ruto nominates insider as new CBK deputy governor

NEWS

President William Ruto has nominated Gerald Nyaoma Arita as the second Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to succeed Sheila M’mbijjewe, who retired in June.

Mr Nyaoma is currently the Director of the Bank Supervision Department at CBK, with 36 years of professional experience to the role, having held multiple positions within the institution.

His previous roles include Director of Financial Markets Development, Director of Banking Services, and Acting Director of Internal Audit, among others. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Cambridge, earned under the Commonwealth Scholarship.

If his nomination is approved by Parliament, Nyaoma will take up a vacant position that had attracted several high-profile applicants including Dr. Habil Olaka, Prof. Dulacha Galgallo, Charles Mutuma Ringera, and Dr. Florence Koki. Alongside Susan Koech, he will support Governor Kamau Thugge in managing the top bank.

Other appointments

The president also picked Sammy Chepkwony as chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to replace Lyn Mengich whose six-year tenure has come to an end. Others nominated to SRC are Gilda Odera, Geoffrey Apolo Omondi, Leonid Ashindu, Mohamed Aden Abdi and Martin Kizito Ongoyi.

Ruto has also forwarded names of candidates for key roles within the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), and the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC).

After their names were formally sent to the House for review and confirmation, the applicants are currently awaiting Parliament’s approval.