Seth Panyako Fired
Unionist and politician Seth Panyako has been ousted from his role on the Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPF) Board as part of the recent shake-up in President William Ruto’s administration.
On Friday, January 23, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced that Panyako’s appointment as a board member of LAPFUND has been revoked, effective immediately.
Mbadi explained that this decision was made under Section 5 of the Local Authorities Provident Fund Act, which grants him the authority to appoint and dismiss any member of LAPFUND.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 5 (1) (d) of the Local Authorities Provident Fund Act, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury revokes the appointment of Seth Panyako as a Member of the Local Authorities Provident Fund Board,” read part of the notice.
While the decision took effect right away, the CS didn’t disclose why Panyako was removed from the board.
Panyako, who is the trade unionist and secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Nurses, was appointed to the LAPFUND board by former Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u back in March 2023.
LAPFUND’s role is to receive, invest, and manage contributions from both employees and employers, helping to create a solid financial foundation for retirement.
Panyako’s dismissal is part of the ongoing shake-up within state corporations, as the government continues to reform important institutions across various ministries.
His time on the board was not without its controversies, including threats of legal action from some Kenyans regarding his attempt to run for the Malava parliamentary seat while holding a significant government position.
Despite this, Panyako argued that LAPFUND isn’t a state corporation and insisted that his role as a workers’ representative didn’t make him a public officer.
The latest news comes just weeks after he lost the Malava Parliamentary seat to David Ndakwa, the candidate from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), during the by-elections that took place on November 27, 2025. Ndakwa emerged victorious in this closely fought contest, securing 21,564 votes, while his opponent from DAP-Kenya, Panyako, received 20,210 votes.
Seth Panyako Fired
