President William Ruto has appointed Professor Makau Mutua as the Senior Adviser on Constitutional Affairs in the Executive Office of the President.
In a statement shared on X, President Ruto praised Mutua as a distinguished legal scholar with deep expertise in constitutional and human rights law.
“I have appointed Prof Makau Mutua as the Senior Adviser on Constitutional Affairs in the Executive Office of the President. Prof Mutua brings a wealth of experience in legal, constitutional, and human rights matters,” the President said.
Mutua, a Kenyan-American academic and former spokesperson for the Azimio la Umoja coalition, becomes the latest high-profile figure from the opposition to join the government.
His appointment follows the March 2025 political pact between Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga aimed at forming a broad-based administration.
The move, however, has sparked discontent within the ODM party, with some members expressing strong opposition to the Ruto-Odinga alliance and vowing to pursue an independent political path ahead of the 2027 elections.
Prof Mutua’s appointment comes just a week after the President named Jaoko Oburu Odinga—son of Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga—as Special Adviser for Economic Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihoods.
An internationally recognized scholar, Mutua previously served as dean of the SUNY Buffalo School of Law in the United States.
He currently teaches international human rights, international law, and international business transactions.
He is also a former Vice President of the American Society of International Law and chaired Kenya’s 2003 Task Force on the Establishment of a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission.
A longtime ally of Raila Odinga, Mutua played a key role in Odinga’s 2022 presidential campaign as his chief spokesperson.
