President William Ruto has honoured and awarded four cabinet secretaries for their distinguished and outstanding services to the nation.
The four Cabinet Secretaries Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury), Aisha Jumwa (Gender, Culture, Arts, and Heritage), Florence Bore (Labour) and Alice Wahome (Lands) received Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart award (second class)
He at the same time awarded Teresia Mabika Malokwe with Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (First Class) and Karani John Ndiwa Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (Third Class).
The awards were announced in a gazette notice on Friday.
The president issues awards upon the advice of a National Honours and Awards Committee.
Order of the Golden Heart of the Republic of Kenya is the highest award in Kenya and is split into three classes: Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (C.G.H.), Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H.) and Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart (M.G.H.).
Chief of the Order is mostly given to the holders of the office of the President of Kenya.
However, several prominent figures have also received the medal despite not being Kenyan sitting presidents.
They include President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Aga Khan IV, Saudi businessman Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, former Prime Minister of New Zealand Mike Moore and Mufaddal Saifuddin, 53rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra.
The Order of the Burning Spear was instituted on 21 April 1966.
The award is given for distinguished services to public dignitaries, exemplary members of the public service, and other professionals.
The Order is divided into: Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (C.B.S), Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (E.B.S) and Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (M.B.S).
Some of the notable figures who received this award include; former State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu, 800 meters Olympic Champion and world record holder David Rudisha, and veteran journalist Jeff Koinange of Citizen TV.