President William Ruto has renewed Fred Muteti’s appointment as the non-executive chairperson of the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) board for an additional three-year term.
According to a gazette notice published on Friday, May 15, Ruto stated that the reappointment was conducted in accordance with section 12 (1) (a) of the Special Economic Zones Act 2015.
The notice indicates that Muteti’s new term begins on Friday, May 15, 2026, and will conclude in 2029, at which point a successor will be appointed to lead the authority.
William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, exercised the powers granted by section 12 (1) (a) of the Special Economic Zones Act 2015 to re-appoint Fred Muteti as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the SEZA Board for a three-year period effective May 15, 2026.
SEZA serves as a government entity tasked with attracting, facilitating, and regulating all public and private Special Economic Zones (SEZs) within Kenya.
The agency operates under established regulations and serves as a key regulator and investment facilitator, working to eliminate trade barriers and promote industrial development.
A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) constitutes a specific geographical area that functions under distinctive economic, tax, and trade policies intended to attract both international and domestic investments.
These zones encompass both government-supported SEZs and privately operated ones. Public economic zones include Dongo Kundu SEZ, Naivasha SEZ, and Konza Technopolis, while private zones comprise Tatu City and Two Rivers International Finance and Innovation Centre, among others.
In his capacity as Non-Executive Chairperson, Muteti will continue to lead the board in establishing policy direction, enhancing investor confidence, and supervising the authority’s function in coordinating SEZ developers, operators, and enterprises.
His reappointment follows recent legislative efforts aimed at strengthening the Special Economic Zones framework to support substantial capital investments.
Specifically, the legislation focuses on upstream and midstream petroleum and energy initiatives, including operations in the South Lokichar Basin in Turkana, and establishes a mandatory 10-year minimum license for petroleum zone operators to guarantee investor tenure security.
The legislation also eliminates the 10-year limitation on withholding tax exemptions for royalties and management fees, and revises the VAT Act to apply zero-rating for supplies to Special Economic Zone operators.