President William Ruto has announced the appointment of new chancellors for Kibabii, Pwani, and Kabianga universities.
In a gazette notice dated Thursday, April 2, the Head of State appointed motor vehicle assembler, Isuzu Managing Director Rita Kavashe as Chancellor of Pwani University.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 38 (1) (a) of the Universities Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint—Rita Kavashe to be the Chancellor of Pwani University, for a period of five (5) years, with effect from the 2nd April, 2026,” the notice read in part.
Rita Kavashe is the Chair and Managing Director of Isuzu East Africa Ltd.
She joined Isuzu in 1995 and played a key role in its transition to Isuzu East Africa in 2017.
Rita previously held senior roles in Sales and Marketing in Kenya and South Africa, and completed leadership programs, including at Harvard Business School.
In 2017, Rita was awarded a state honor, the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS), for exemplary service to the country in her capacity as a business leader.
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Ruto Appoints Paul Russo Kibabii University Chancellor
At the same time, President Ruto appointed Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) CEO Paul Russo as Chancellor of Kibabii University.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 38 (1) (a) of the Universities Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint—Paul Russo (CPA) to be the Chancellor of Kibabii University, for a period of five (5) years, with effect from the 2nd April, 2026,” the notice read.
Paul Russo, an HR practitioner, became KCB Group CEO in 2022 and has previously held senior roles at the National Bank of Kenya and KCB Group.
He has nearly 25 years of executive experience, including key roles at major corporations such as Barclays, PwC, K-Rep Bank, EABL, and Unga Holdings.
KCB CEO sits on various national boards and committees, including the Presidential Taskforce on the National Lottery and the WRC Safari Rally Project.
Russo was feted with a state commendation- Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) by the President for his immense contribution to Kenya’s financial services sector.
He holds an MBA from Strathmore University Business School and a Bachelor of Business Management from Moi University. He also has a Senior Executive Program for Africa Certificate from Harvard Business School.
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Form PS Desai Appointed Kabianga Chancellor
Meanwhile, the President also appointed former Principal Secretary Dr. Kevit Desai as the Chancellor of Kabianga University for a period of five years.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 38 (1) (a) of the Universities Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint—Kevit Desai (Dr.) to be the Chancellor of Kabianga University, for a period of five (5) years, with effect from the 2nd April, 2026,” the notice read.
Dr. Kevai Desai served as the Principal Secretary in the State Department of the East African Community (EAC) during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration from 2020 to 2023.
Earlier, he was Principal Secretary for Vocational and Technical Education in the Ministry of Education.
Dr. Desai earned a PhD in Robotics Systems Engineering from Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan and a BSc in Computer Engineering from the University of North London.
Desai founded Centurion Systems Kenya Limited, specializing in industrial automation.
He also worked as an Industrial Automation Engineer at Nippon ABS Ltd.
Desai was previously the Chairman of Council, Technical University of Mombasa, and Board of Governors – Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf.
He is a former Chairman of the Board of Young Scientists Kenya and also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the United States International University Africa (USIU).
