Former Kisii Governor James Ongwae has thanked President William Ruto following his appointment as the chairperson of the Universal Service Advisory Council Board.
In a statement on Thursday, Ongwae said he was glad that the head of state had picked him to be part of his Bottom Up Transformation Agenda and to serve Kenyans.
''I would also want to assure the Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy that I will be part of his team in building this great country," Ongwae said.
He said he will work tirelessly to ensure that the government's agenda to promote capacity building and innovation in ICT services and widespread ICT services across the country is realised.
He termed the council that he will be heading as a critical agency in the Kenya Kwanza government's agenda to digitise its services and make ICT an enabler for millions of jobs for the youth in the country.
He said the council is a crucial body as well in supporting the president's plan for a digital economy.
ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo on Wednesday and through a gazette notice appointed Ongwae to chair the chair of the council for three years.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 102K (6) of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy appoints James E. O. Ongwae Chairperson," reads the notice.
Ongwae is the retired governor of Kisii County having served for the Constitutional two terms.
He is among key politicians from the Gusii region who crossed over from opposition leader Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement party to work with the president after last year's polls.
The former governor has a massive experience in public service management having previously risen in the ranks to become a permanent secretary.
He started his work in the public service as a District Officer before becoming an Immigration Officer, then Management Analyst and lastly served as Director of Civil Service.
Ongwae served as a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President and a director of Personnel Management.
He was the Secretary for the Teachers Service Commission and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture in the government of Kenya.
He also worked at the Directorate of Industrial Training and served as an associate member of the Kenya Institute of Management (K.I.M) before he retired from his professional work in December 2005 to venture into his political ambitions.
