- Marwa assumes leadership from outgoing Chairperson Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, taking on the primary mandate of coordinating ecological restoration, pollution control, and the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Nairobi River Basin.
President William Ruto has appointed former Devolution Principal Secretary and Coast Regional Commissioner Nelson Marwa as the new Chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission.
According to Gazette Notice No. 16248 dated October 16, 2026, Marwa will serve at the helm of the commission for a term of three years, effective October 16, 2026.
The Gazette Notice, issued under Article 131 of the Constitution and Section 51(1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, also formally revoked the appointment of Bishop Margaret Wanjiru.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 131 of the Constitution, as read with section 51 (1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint Nelson Marwa to be the Chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 16th October, 2026. The appointment of Margaret Wanjiru is revoked," the Gazette Notice No. 16248 reads.
Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, a city politician, televangelist, and presiding bishop of Jesus Is Alive Ministries (JIAM), was appointed to chair the commission in late October 2024.
Her appointment coincided with the restructuring of the agency, which moved under the purview of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
Prior to the formal revocation of her appointment, Bishop Wanjiru had submitted a 30-day notice of resignation to the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, in August 2026, expressing her intention to exit the post by August 31, 2026, to focus on other engagements.
During her tenure at the Nairobi Rivers Commission, she was tasked with leading multi-sectoral initiatives to restore the Nairobi River Basin - spanning Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, and Makueni counties - and reclaiming the capital’s environmental health.
Under Gazette Notice No. 16248, dated October 16, 2026, President William Samoei Ruto officially designated Nelson Marwa to lead the commission for a three-year term.
Marwa assumes leadership from outgoing Chairperson Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, taking on the primary mandate of coordinating ecological restoration, pollution control, and the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Nairobi River Basin.
Marwa's appointment also comes months after Ruto appointed former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate in the recently concluded Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election Samuel Muchina to the same commission, revoking Amos Chege Mugo's term.