NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 9 — President William Ruto has reshuffled two top officials, swapping Principal Secretaries in the Education and Tourism ministries.
In a presidential announcement issued Tuesday by Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok was reassigned to the State Department for Tourism, while Tourism Principal Secretary John Lekakeny Ololtuaa was moved to the State Department for Basic Education.
The changes take immediate effect.
The Executive Office of the President said the reassignments were approved by President Ruto as part of adjustments within the senior ranks of the Executive.
“Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok has been reassigned from the State Department for Basic Education, Ministry of Education, to the State Department for Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, while Mr. John Lekakeny Ololtuaa has been reassigned from the State Department for Tourism to the State Department for Basic Education,” the statement read.
The reshuffle comes barely fifteen months after Bitok was moved from the Immigration and Citizen Services Department to Basic Education in March 2025, where he replaced veteran education administrator Belio Kipsang.
At the time, Bitok was credited with spearheading reforms at the Immigration Department, particularly efforts to clear passport backlogs and improve service delivery.
His reassignment to the Tourism docket places him at the centre of one of Kenya’s key foreign exchange sectors, as the government seeks to sustain record tourist arrivals and increase earnings from the industry.
Ololtuaa, who had been overseeing the Tourism Department, now takes charge of Basic Education, one of the government’s most critical portfolios, responsible for millions of learners, curriculum implementation and education policy.
