President William Ruto has been awarded the 2026 Continental Leadership Award for Visionary Governance and Human Capital Transformation at the Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards (APSCA) in Accra, Ghana.
Kenya also won 23 awards recognising public sector leadership, governance and service delivery.
Deputy Head of Public Service Amos Gathecha, who led the Kenyan delegation, received the award on behalf of Ruto at the gala.
Gathecha said the recognition reflected deliberate reforms undertaken by the government to strengthen public sector performance and improve service delivery.
Gathecha was also honoured at the event, receiving the Public Service and Smart Governance Leader of the Year award.
Dr Reuben Chirchir, Head of Governance, Public Service Reforms and Re-engineering, received the Outstanding Contribution to Public Service Governance award.
Among the Principal Secretaries recognised were Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim, who received the Government Coordination Personality of the Year award; Cyrell Odede Wagunda, named Public Investment Governance Leader of the Year; and Dr Idris Salim Dokota, who received the Cabinet Governance and Public Service Administrator of the Year award.
Kabale Tache, Chief Executive Officer of the National Land Commission, was named Public Sector CEO of the Year, while the commission received awards for Excellence in Delivering Customer Services and Excellence in Community Engagement.
The Kenya National Highways Authority was named Sustainable Public Sector Project of the Year, while its Director-General, Eng Luka Kipchumba Kimeli, received the Road Infrastructure Delivery Leader of the Year award.
The Agriculture and Food Authority-Kenya was named Innovative Agri-Food Agency of the Year, while its Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bruno Linyiru, OGW, was named Agricultural Transformation Leader of the Year. Winfred Mbithe Kiia, the authority's Deputy Director of ICT, received the Public Sector ICT Trailblazer of the Year award.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development was named Africa Curriculum Development Institution of the Year, while the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency received the Nuclear and Clean Energy Governance of the Year award.
Kenya's Anti-Counterfeit Authority was recognised as Anti-Counterfeit Enforcement and Consumer Protection Provider of the Year, while its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Robi M. King'a, was named Public Sector CEO of the Year.
The Kenya Sugar Board received the Sugar Industry Transformation Institution of the Year award, while the Kenya Medical Training College was named Health Workforce Development Provider of the Year. Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jack Oluoch Kelly, was honoured as Health Education Leader of the Year.
FCS Simon Indimuli, Chief Executive Officer of the State Corporations Advisory Committee, was named State Corporation Governance Steward of the Year.
