NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 22— President William Ruto has appointed former Ol Kalou parliamentary candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah to the Nairobi Rivers Commission, barely a week after the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) politician suffered a crushing defeat in the constituency’s by-election.
In a Gazette Notice dated July 22, President Ruto appointed Nyagah as a member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission with immediate effect, while simultaneously revoking the appointment of Amos Chege Mugo.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that… I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint Samuel Muchina Nyaga to be a Member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission with effect from the 22nd July, 2026. The appointment of Amos Chege Mugo is revoked,” the Gazette Notice states.
Nyagah’s appointment comes shortly after his unsuccessful bid to capture the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat in a contest widely viewed as a political showdown between the ruling UDA and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
The outcome underscored DCP’s growing influence in the Mt Kenya region, with its candidate, Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, securing a landslide victory after garnering 35,440 votes, while Nyagah trailed with 5,450 votes.
The appointment places Nyagah in the Nairobi Rivers Commission, a multi-agency body established to spearhead the regeneration and sustainable management of Nairobi’s river system.
The commission’s mandate includes reclaiming Nairobi’s rivers as part of the city’s blue and green infrastructure, coordinating river restoration efforts, overseeing compliance with environmental laws, mobilising resources for rehabilitation projects, promoting public participation, and developing the Nairobi Rivers Basin Regeneration Programme aimed at restoring the basin’s environmental and economic value.
It is also tasked with harmonising the work of national and county government agencies, as well as development partners involved in protecting, restoring and beautifying Nairobi’s river ecosystem.
The commission is expected to examine lessons from previous river restoration initiatives, including the Nairobi River Basin Project, the Adopt-A-River Initiative, the Nairobi River Regeneration Initiative and the Urban Rivers Regeneration Programme, as it seeks to transform Nairobi’s river corridors into safer, cleaner and economically productive spaces.
