State House is on the spot over the appointment of members to the powerful National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Board, with claims that a senior official unilaterally altered an official shortlist to insert a preferred candidate.
Consumer rights advocate Stephen Mutoro, Secretary General of the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK), has directly implicated the Office of the President, accusing Deputy Chief of Staff Josphat Nanok of masterminding a “targeted, deliberate substitution” that bypassed a competitive recruitment process.
According to documents shared publicly, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi forwarded four names for parliamentary vetting following open recruitment and vetting by the Public Service Commission. Mbadi’s letter listed Komora Yvonne Nsunsu, Manyaga Yvonne Boyani, Mutua Fidelis Kieti and Ahmed Diriye Mohammed
However, a subsequent “concurrence” letter issued by Nanok on behalf of State House replaced Ahmed Diriye Mohammed with Morris Putita Kaaka, while retaining the first three names.
The discrepancy has raised questions about transparency at the highest levels of government. Mutoro described the move as a “State House appointment scam”, arguing that the concurrence process is intended only to verify procedural compliance, not to override merit-based selections.
The recruitment of NG-CDF board members is prescribed in law as an open and competitive process, starting with the advertisement of the positions. This is followed by shortlisting and interviews by the Public Service Commission, which recommends the nominees to the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, who submits the names to Parliament for approval.
The allegations place the Executive Office of the President, led by Chief of Staff Felix Koske and his deputy Nanok, squarely on the spot. As the second-most senior official in State House, Nanok’s involvement has prompted questions over whether the substitution occurred with higher approval.
Critics argue the incident undermines public confidence in President William Ruto’s administration, especially given repeated pledges of transparency and meritocracy in public appointments. The NG-CDF Board oversees billions in constituency development funds, making any perceived interference at State House level particularly sensitive.
Mutoro has demanded immediate investigations by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), citing potential violations of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act. He also urged Parliament to halt the vetting process until the original recruitment records are produced and verified.
As of May 13, 2026, neither State House, Deputy Chief of Staff Nanok, nor Treasury CS Mbadi had responded to the claims.
