Felix Koskei, the incumbent Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, is arguably one of the most powerful government officials.
Koskei was appointed as Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service by President William Ruto in October last year, replacing  Joseph Kinyua, who served during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
Born in 1964 in Tinderet Nandi County, Koskei schooled at Tachasis Primary School before joining Metetei High School.
He proceeded to the University of Nairobi (UoN), where he pursued his Bachelor of Science Degree. He also holds a Masters in Strategic Management from UoN, as well as other accolades from the University of Brunswick in Canada and the University of Botswana.
Koskei began his career at the defunct Kenya Posts and Telecommunication Corporation before moving to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority in 2007 as a procurement manager.
Two years later, he landed a role at the Kenya National Highways Authority, where he climbed the ladder to become the general manager of the Supply Chain and Support Services department.
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In 2013, he was appointed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) but was suspended from office two years later on allegations of corruption.
He was accused, among other issues, of issuing illegal permits under the table to sugar importers without going through open tendering as required by the constitution.
This was, however, not the end of his presence in government offices as he managed to make his way back into the government after just three years to serve as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and now the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service.
In his current role, he is deputized by former Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, who was serving as the Director-General of William Ruto’s presidential campaigns.
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According to a gazette notice by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), dated August 9, 2023, Koskei takes home a gross salary of Sh957,000.
This includes a basic salary of Sh574,200, a house allowance of Sh200,000, and a salary market allowance of Sh182,800. He is also entitled to a car and a medical cover, which also covers his wife and four children below the age of 25.
The inpatient amount is Sh10 million, outpatient Sh300,000, maternity Sh150,000, dental Sh75,000 and optical Sh75,000.
Other benefits include life insurance, personal accident cover, a daily subsistence allowance for local and foreign travels, maximum airtime of Sh20,000 per month, and annual leave allowance, among others.