Ruto appoints Muteti as chair of Special Economic Zones Authority Board

President William Ruto has appointed Fred Muteti as chair of the Kenya Special Economic Zones Authority Board for a period of three years.

Mr Muteti was formerly Sports Kenya Chairman and served as United Republic Party (URP) Secretary General.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by the 12(1)(a) of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2015, as read together with section 51 (1) I President William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces do appoint Fred Muteti as the Special Economic Zones Authority for a period of 3years effective 26th, April 2023," read the gazette Notice.

Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria appointed Dr Kenneth Chelule as the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority for a period of three years, effective April 21.

Mr Kuria gazetted Dr Chelule's appointment in a circular dated April 26.

"It is notified for the general information of the public that the Board of Directors of the Special Economic Zones Authority has appointed Kenneth Chelule Langat as the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, for a period of three years, with effect from the 21st April, 2023," said Kuria.

Chelule was previously the SEZ Authority Director of Partnership, Strategy, Research, and Resource Mobilization.

He served as Chief Research Scientist and Deputy Director at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute.

"Dr Chelule is an experienced professional with more than 20 years of expertise in industrial research, technology transfer and MSME support," reads an excerpt from SEZ.

The Authority serves as the regulator of public and private SEZs in Kenya and creates an enabling environment for investors through the development of integrated infrastructure facilities, as well as the creation of incentives that eliminate trade barriers.

SEZ was established in 2015 by an Act of Parliament (Special Economic Zones Act No. 16 of 2015), to provide for the establishment of special economic zones in Kenya, promote and facilitate global and local investors and develop development and management of an enabling environment for investments.

The government through the Authority, recognizes the critical role of SEZs in transforming the country into an industrialized 'middle-income economy providing a high quality life to all its citizens as envisioned in Kenya Vision 2030.