Felix Koskei is the current head of Public Service and President Ruto’s Chief of Staff, a role he was appointed to in October 2022.
He replaced Joseph Kinyua, who served in the docket under Uhuru’s regime.
As the head of public service, Koskei is the boss of all public servants in the country, including principal secretaries. He also lords over all state house staff.
These roles effectively put him in charge of running the government on behalf of the president as all principal secretaries and cabinet secretaries must swing their decisions by him before engaging the president.
Consequently, he has been described by some media outlets as ‘the engine of the presidency’.
Hefty Salary
As Ruto’s right-hand man, Koskei earns a gross salary of sh 957 000 according to the latest gazette notice by the Salaries and Remunerations Commission.
He is also entitled to an official car with an engine capacity not exceeding 3,000 cc and free medical coverage of over sh 10 million, which also covers his wife and four children below the age of 25.
He is also entitled to life insurance, personal accident cover, a daily subsistence allowance for local and foreign travels, maximum airtime of sh 20 000 per month, annual leave allowance at the rate of sh 50 000 per annum, among other perks.
A 2018 report by the Justice and Legal Affairs committee estimated his net worth to be over sh 867 million, ranking him among the richest men in the Rift Valley region.
Background
Born in 1964, Koskei hails from Ainabngetuny village, Tinderet District, Nandi County.
He schooled at Tachasis Primary School — a local school within the village — before joining Metetei High School.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Masters in Strategic Management, both from UON. He also holds other accolades from the University of Brunswick in Canada and the University of Botswana.
On top of his rich education background, he has undertaken several professional courses in Supply Chain Management.
His career began in 1990 in the now-defunct Kenya Posts and Telecommunication Corporation.
In 2007, he moved to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority as a procurement manager.
In 2009, he moved to the Kenya National Highways Authority, where he rose to become the general manager of the Supply Chain and Support Services department.
List of shame
In 2013, Koskei was appointed by former president Uhuru Kenyatta as the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Agriculture.
His short-lived tenure at the docket ended when a 2015 ‘list of shame’ tabled in parliament ranked him among corrupt public servants alongside five other cabinet secretaries.
Koskei was accused, among other issues, of issuing illegal permits under the table to sugar importers without going through open tendering as required by the constitution.
Three years later, he was appointed to the Judicial Service Commission by former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
He had also tried his hand at politics, vying for the Nandi County gubernatorial seat, but lost to Stephen Sang in 2017.
As Chief of Staff, Koskei is deputized by former Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, previously the director general of Ruto’s campaigns.
