Ruto moves PS Bitok from Education to Tourism ministry

President William Ruto has reassigned Basic Education Principal Secretary Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok to the State Department for Tourism, with Tourism Principal Secretary John Lekakeny Ololtuaa taking over the education docket.

The changes were announced on Tuesday in a notification of presidential action issued by Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service Felix K. Koskei.

According to the notice, Bitok and Ololtuaa have swapped positions, with Bitok moving to Tourism and Ololtuaa taking charge of Basic Education.

The Executive Office of the President said the reassignments were sanctioned by President Ruto and take effect immediately.

The notification, dated June 9, 2026, was signed by Koskei.

In March 2025, Bitok took over as PS Basic Education after swapping dockets with Belio Kipsang, who moved to Immigration. 

Ololtuaa takes over the Basic Education docket at a time when the government is grappling with a wave of school unrest and fires that have led to the closure of several learning institutions across the country.

Ololtuaa is an educationist who started his education-based career in 1993.

He attained his Bachelor of Education (Arts) Degree and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration, both from Kenyatta University.

He has served as County Director of Education for Bomet and Kajiado Counties and also served as a Regional Director of Education.

Ololtuaa has previously served in the Transition Authority, overseeing Kenya’s transition to the Devolved System of Governance. He specifically served as the County Transition coordinator in charge of Narok County.

According to the Kenya Tourism Board, Ololtuaa is a mentor of the youth, where he supports several youth development initiatives across the country.

In 2020, he participated in the Global Schools Partnership Program being implemented through the British Council.

The program is aimed at developing learning Partnerships between schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ololtuaa has been termed as a transformative leader who believes in the ideals of strategic management and high standards of professionalism, transparency, integrity, and accountability.