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President William Ruto has nominated Kipchumba Murkomen as the new Cabinet Secretary for Sports.

In his speech at the State House on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, Ruto picked the immediate former Transport and Public Works Cabinet Secretary to replace Ababu Namwamba, who served in the role until the recent dissolution.

Murkomen history

Murkomen, a son of Johana Murkomen Kanda and Mama Margaret, attended Chawis Primary School in Embobut Forest, Marakwet East.

He later joined St. Joseph’s High School Kitale and transferred to St. Patrick’s High School Iten, where he sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam.

In the year 2000, Murkomen joined the University of Nairobi, Parkland Campus, and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 2004.

While studying, he was elected chairman of the Fellowship of Christian Unions’ National Students Executive Council. He was later awarded a scholarship to study a master’s in law at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He further studied at the American University Washington College of Law in the United States.

Murkomen was first elected as Senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet County in 2013 on a United Republican Party (URP) ticket.

He vied for the same seat during the 2017 elections, this time on a Jubilee party ticket, and was re-elected to a second term. Murkomen was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2013 but was later replaced by West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio as the Senate Majority Leader in 2020.

Before his nomination as a cabinet minister, Murkomen had been elected for the third time to be the senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet County in the 2022 general elections on a UDA party ticket.

Murkomen role

Murkomen won the seat with 141,091 votes against his competitor, former Elgeyo-Marakwet County governor Alex Tolgos, who vied under the Jubilee Party and came second. He resigned as the senator to take the position of Cabinet Secretary.

If approved as a Cabinet Secretary by Parliament, he will replace Ababu Namwamba and join the ranks of previous Cabinet Secretaries, including Najib Balala (2002–2003), Ochilo Ayacko (2003–2005), Maina Kamanda (2005–2007), Esther Murugi (2008–2009), Naomi Shaaban (2009–2013), Hassan Wario (2013–2018), Rashid Echesa (2018–2019), and Amina Mohammed (2019–2022).

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