ⓒ The Daily Nation
President William Ruto has appointed Major General (Rtd) Jofidha Otieno Makowenga, former commander of the Kenya Air Force, as the new chairperson of the Kenya Space Agency board. The announcement, made via an official notice on November 29th, designates General Makowenga to lead the board for a three-year term, commencing November 30th. This appointment follows the retirement of General (Rtd) James Aruasa, who held the position for six years.
General Makowenga’s appointment underscores the strategic importance of space technology to Kenya’s security and communications infrastructure. The decision to maintain military leadership within the agency highlights the sector’s significance in national defense. Before his retirement in 2014, General Makowenga held a distinguished career, culminating in his role as Kenya Air Force Commander. His contributions extended to operations against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, earning him the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) and the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) awards.
His extensive experience includes commanding the Defence Staff College and National Defence College, in addition to serving as Director of Logistics at Kenya Air Force Headquarters. The appointment of General Makowenga comes on the heels of President Ruto’s recent appointments of other retired military officials to key positions, including General (Rtd) Robert Kibochi to head the Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital board and the appointments of former MPs Nicholas Gumbo and Swarup Mishra to leadership roles within other state agencies.
