Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports, and the Arts, Kipchumba Murkomen, has expressed his dedication to enhancing the welfare and potential of the youth as he begins his new role.

Sworn in alongside 19 other cabinet secretaries following the vetting process, Murkomen, the former Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works, called his appointment an honour and a significant opportunity to serve the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports.

Murkomen on new role

“I am honoured and grateful to have today started the journey of serving our great nation in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports,” Murkomen stated on his X account.

“I am deeply committed to promoting the welfare and potential of our youth, fostering creativity, and advancing our sports industry.”

Murkomen has pledged to operate diligently and maintain accountability in his new position, emphasizing his goal of creating a dynamic future for the youth.

“I pledge to serve diligently and with unwavering accountability. Together, we will build a vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive future for our youth and our nation,” he remarked.

Murkomen’s educational journey began at Chawis Primary School in Embobut Forest, Marakwet East, where he completed his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in 1993.

He later attended St. Joseph’s High School before transferring to St. Patrick’s High School in Iten, where he earned his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.

In 2000, Murkomen enrolled at the University of Nairobi’s Parkland Campus, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 2004.

While studying, he was elected chairman of the Fellowship of Christian Unions’ National Students Executive Council.

He later received a scholarship to pursue a master’s in law at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and also studied at the American University Washington College of Law in the United States.

Murkomen first entered politics in 2013, when he was elected as the Senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet County on a United Republican Party (URP) ticket.

Murkomen election

He was re-elected in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket and served a second term. Initially elected as the Senate Majority Leader in 2013, he was later replaced by West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio in 2020.

Before his appointment as a cabinet minister, Murkomen was elected for a third term as Senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet County in the 2022 general elections on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket.

He won the seat with 141,091 votes, defeating former Elgeyo-Marakwet County Governor Alex Tolgos, who ran on a Jubilee Party ticket. He subsequently resigned from his senatorial position to take on the role of Cabinet Secretary.