President Ruto drops Mary Wambui as CA Chair, appoints Charles Karondo

President William Ruto has appointed Charles Kamau Karondo as the non-executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

In a gazette notice released on Friday, the Head of State said Karondo will serve for a period of three years, effective August 8, 2025.

The appointment of businesswoman Mary Wambui Mungai to the position has been revoked.

The changes were made under section 6(1)(a) of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, read together with section 51 of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act.

In the same gazette notice, Water, Sanitaion and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa appointed Wambui as the new non-executive Chairperson of the Athi Water Works Development Agency Board, effective August 8, 2025.

She takes over the role from Karondo, whose appointment was – in turn – revoked, in what is seemingly a mere swap.

Wambui is considered a top financier of President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. She was appointed the CA Chairperson in a gazette notice dated December 2, 2022.

The director of Purma Holdings Limited and her daughter Purity Njoki were in 2021 arrested in a Ksh.2.2 billion tax evasion saga.

The case was however withdrawn by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in January 2023.