Ruto appoints Samuel Muchina to Nairobi Rivers Commission after Ol Kalou by-election loss

President William Ruto has appointed the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate in the just concluded Ol Kalou by-election, Samuel Muchina Nyaga, as a member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission.

Muchina, who received a paltry 5,450 votes in the hotly contested poll, lost to Sammy Kamau Ngotho of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), who garnered 35,440 votes.

In a Special Gazette Notice issued on Wednesday, Muchina, whose appointment will take effect from Wednesday, July 22, will be replacing Amos Chege Mugo, whose appointment was revoked. 

Muchina will be part of the central coordinating body that is responsible for restoring, rehabilitating and managing the Nairobi River basin. 

The commission will also ensure laws and regulations governing the environment in the basin are followed, as well as developing codes of conduct for law enforcement in partnership with the relevant stakeholders. 

The appointment comes after Muchina claimed President Ruto had also tasked him with overseeing the implementation of ongoing government projects in Ol Kalou. 

"Although our victory was postponed, our commitment to the people of Ol Kalou remains unwavering. Leadership is not only about holding office; it is about standing with the people and ensuring that development reaches every household," Muchina stated during a meeting at State House on July 21. 

The Ol Kalou by-election attracted national attention and was widely viewed as a political showdown between President Ruto and his former deputy, Gachagua.

The race was triggered by the death of former Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho, creating the first parliamentary electoral test in the constituency since the 2022 General Election.