Profile of Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u and 4 Newly Nominated CSs

President William Ruto on Friday, July 19 unveiled 11 new cabinet nominees in his new broad-based government.

Speaking at State House Nairobi, President Ruto nominated five new Cabinet Secretaries to join his government. 

The new nominated CSs include; Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u (ICT), Debra Mulongo Baraza (Health), Julius Migos Ogamba (Education), Andrew Mwihia Karanja (Agriculture), and Eric Muriithi Muuga (Water).

Ndung’u is a renowned expert in Internet Governance. She has expertise in Internet infrastructure, AI, Machine Learning, cybersecurity, and data governance.

She has contributed to the African Union's Digital Transformation Strategy and sectoral strategies for Education, Health, and Agriculture.

Dr. Ndung’u also played a key role in developing and implementing the African Union Data Policy Framework. She also coordinated a six-module online Internet Governance curriculum used by 30 National and Regional Schools across Africa and developed a 10-module course for The Pan African University Institute, tailoring it to the e-skills of participants.

The nominated ICT CS has a post-doctorate fellowship focused on Innovation value chain from Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa, a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Nairobi, a Master in management science from UON and a bachelor in information science from Moi University.

Dr, Karanja who has been nominated to the Ministry of Agriculture boasts over 36 years of experience in the public sector both locally and internationally in the fields of development economics, rural development and finance, agriculture and livestock development, project formulation, management, and evaluation.

He started his career as an extension officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. He also worked as a Planning Officer in the same ministry.

Later he joined the Coffee Research Foundation (CRF) as a Research Officer/Agricultural Economist where he rose to Senior Agricultural Economist and Head of Economics Department. He also worked in the World Bank as an Agricultural Economist.

Karanja has a bachelors in Agriculture from UoN, Masters in Agricultural economics from the same institution and a PHD in Development Economics And POLICY from Wageningen University, Netherlands.

Muuga on the other is a Civil Engineer and a water resource enthusiast with over 8 years experience with hands-on experience in Operations and Management of Engineering Projects, Water Hydraulic Modeling, Design of Water and Wastewater Networks Water Treatment Plants, and other water structures.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Construction Engineering from Uon and a master's in Civil engineering from UoN.

Nominated Health CS Debra Mlongo has over 15 years of field experience as a senior medical officer with progression to an Internal Medicine Physician and technical advisor having worked in health institutions both national, referral, private, and Community-Based Organisations.

She holds a bachelor's of Medicine and Surgery from UoN, a master's in internal medicine from the same institution, and is currently pursuing a master's in infectious diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Nominated Education CS, Ogamba on his part boasts over 25 years of experience in legal practice; counseling clients, performing legal research, preparing legal documents, and representing clients in criminal and civil court proceedings.

He has a bachelor of law from UoN and a postgraduate diploma in law from the Kenya School of Law.