Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina appointed to EAC office

President Uhuru Kenyatta has began reorganizing his Cabinet after resignations by public officers who will be running for elective offices in the August 9 polls.

The first docket to be filled is the office in the East African Community and Regional Development which has been taken up on acting capacity by Trade and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina.

The news was confirmed through the Ministry of Industrialization Twitter page on Monday.

“Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Trade @maina_betty this morning took over additional responsibilities as the acting CS for East African Community,” the tweet read.

The Cabinet Secretary has extensive experience in public office having previously served as Principal Secretary in several ministries among them Environment and Forestry, State Department for Industrialization, and State Department of East African Affairs.

The Cabinet Secretary will now be delegated with overseeing affairs within the East African region.

The post was initially occupied by Adan Mohammed who resigned on February 8 to run for the Mandera gubernatorial seat.

Adan Mohammed is among the Cabinet Secretaries who served the Jubilee administration for both terms.

During his resignation, the Cabinet Secretary thanked President Kenyatta and said he would love to develop the country from a different office.

"As we approach the General Election in August 2022, I have considered options on the future roles I can play in the development of our country and reached the decision to run for the position of Governor, Mandera County," he said.

Mohammed's time in office birthed the European Partnership Agreement as well as African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Other public officers who resigned include former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter and his Energy and Petroleum counter part John Munyes whose offices are yet to be filled.