President William Ruto has appointed ex-United Republic Party Secretary General Fred Muteti as chairperson of the Special Economic Zones Authority.
The authority is at the heart of driving President Ruto's job creation in the manufacturing sector through the establishment of Special Economic Zones.
In a gazette notice dated April 26, the President said Muteti will serve for a period of three years with effect from the same date.
He takes over from Ngeny Biwott who was in February appointed to the position.
The president moved Biwott to serve as the new board chairperson of the Kenya Accreditation Services for a period of three years.
Muteti is a confidant of President Ruto having been a founding member of URP.
He would later serve as the URP secretary-general before it merged with TNA in 2016.
The Ruto ally has been serving at Sports Kenya as the chairperson of the board before his new appointment.
He was among Ruto's preferred choices for the East African Legislative Assembly member, but he lost out at the last minute during a vote in Parliament.
His name was among those that were endorsed by Ruto at State House when he met elected MPs.
Muteti was forced to quit the race for Makueni parliamentary seat in the last election and was promised that he would be handed a job in the national government.
He has been Ruto's key point man in Ukambani region and was among the President's dream team working under UDA organising secretary Vincent Musyoka.
Muteti is among key Ruto allies from Ukambani region who have been recently named to key state jobs.