Through Executive Order No. 4 of 2019, President Kenyatta installed Brig John Waweru as the director general of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
The appointment came after several false starts by the KWS board to recruit a new director general, many of which have resulted in job adverts being cancelled and started afresh.
In an unprecedented move, and perhaps to send a warning to the external forces and civil society groups that have always wanted to make the call on who runs KWS, President Kenyatta bypassed the law and appointed a career military man and a diplomat to head the troubled KWS.
Section 11 (1) of the amended Wildlife Management and Conservation Act (2013) provides that “There shall be a Director-General of the Service appointed by the Cabinet Secretary in consultation with the Board”. There is no direct reference to the President.
On the same day, the President named career intelligence officer and immediate former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet the Principal Administrative Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, under which the KWS falls.
The appointment of retired Brig Waweru came in the middle of the latest attempt to recruit a director general. KWS had re-advertised the position in February and applicants had until February 25 to submit their applications. At the time of the announcement from State House, the Board of Trustees chaired by Dr John Waithaka, through a consultancy firm, Hawkins Associates, had called for an interview on Thursday.
The appointment of Brig Waweru was announced on Wednesday, just hours before the scheduled interviews.
The candidates shortlisted in the now moot process include former senior KWS employees Ms Sharon Kisire (ex-human resources manager) and Mr Tom Sipul (ex-kws surveyor). There were also the acting director of biodiversity Dr Patrick Omondi, acting director general Charles Musyoki and a fifth person whose name was not immediately established.