President Ruto has appointed UDA's Samuel Muchina Nyaga to the Nairobi Rivers Commission, replacing Amos Chege Mugo, just days after Muchina lost the Ol Kalou by-election to DCP's Sammy Waweru.
President William Ruto has appointed Samuel Muchina Nyaga as a member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC), barely a week after Muchina lost the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat in a landslide defeat.
Muchina, who flew the UDA flag in the July 16 by-election, takes over the NRC slot previously held by Amos Chege Mugo, whose appointment has now been revoked.
Gazette Notice Confirms Appointment
A special gazette notice obtained by Don Sami Live on July 22 confirmed the appointment, which takes effect the same day. The notice, issued pursuant to Gazette Notice No. 13907 of 2024 and Section 51(1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, reads in part: "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 notice further states that the appointment of Amos Chege Mugo is revoked.
What the Role Entails
As a Commission member, Muchina will help coordinate multi-agency efforts to reclaim, rehabilitate, and restore the ecological integrity of the Nairobi River Basin, with the broader goal of turning the city's rivers into green-blue infrastructure.
His duties will include formulating and supervising restoration programmes, coordinating stakeholders across government institutions, county authorities, the private sector, and civil society, and monitoring compliance with environmental laws governing the river basin. He will also help develop enforceable codes of conduct, drive public awareness campaigns, and facilitate community dialogue on riparian land use.
On the financial side, Muchina will be involved in designing financing mechanisms and establishing a Trust Fund to sustainably support long-term river regeneration projects beyond the initial rehabilitation phase.
State House Visit and Ol Kalou Projects
The appointment comes after Muchina visited State House on the morning of July 22, where he revealed that President Ruto had tasked him with overseeing development projects launched in Ol Kalou during the campaign period — signalling that the projects will proceed despite his election loss.
Among the confirmed ongoing initiatives are 36 electrification projects across the constituency, housing construction for vulnerable families, and borehole completion in every ward. Other continuing works include a university project, the upgrade of JM Hospital to Level 5, and a stadium and roads project.
Muchina lost the Ol Kalou seat to Democracy for Citizens Party's Sammy Douglas Waweru, who garnered 35,440 votes in the contentious by-election.