Editor's Review

The former speaker will serve in the position for another five years. 

President William Ruto has reappointed former Senate Speaker David Ekwe Ethuro as the chairperson of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

According to a gazette notice issued on Friday, September 22, Ethuro will serve in the position for another five years.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 4 (1) (a) of the Higher Education Loans Board Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, re-appoint Ekwee Ethuro to be the Chairperson of the Higher Education Loans Board, for a period of five (5) years, with effect from the 19th September 2023,” the notice read.

Ethuro was previously appointed to the role by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018.

File image of Ekwe Ethuro.

He previously served as the Senate Speaker between 2013 and 2017 after being elected unanimously by the Jubilee coalition. Ethuro managed to get thirty-eight votes against CORD’s Farah Maalim who managed twenty-nine votes.

In 2017 Ethuro lost the position after current Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka defeated him after getting forty-two votes. Farah Maalim received 25 votes, while Ethuro only managed two votes.

Before serving as the Senate Speaker, Ethuro previously served as the Member of Parliament for Turkana Central from 1998 to 2013.

He also served as the Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development from 1998 to 2002 under the government of late President Daniel Moi.