Technical Committee

CPA Kithinji Kiragu has had a distinguished career, culminating in his appointment as the Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) by former President Uhuru Kenyatta CGH on March 31, 2022. He has a solid educational foundation, with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Additionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant in Kenya.

Over the last thirty years, Mr. Kiragu has been extensively involved as a consultant and adviser to governments and development partners, including the World Bank and UK-DFID. His expertise spans institutional and political economy analysis, organizational and human resources development, public finance management, and governance. Notably, he served as the Chief Technical Adviser for Public Sector Reforms for the Government of Tanzania from 1995 to 1998, and as Strategy Adviser for the reform of Nigeria's Federal Public Service in 2009-2010. He has also published extensively on topics related to public sector management, political economy, and governance.

Mr. Kiragu began his career in accounting and auditing, spending three years lecturing on these subjects at the University of Nairobi. His professional path led him to Coopers & Lybrand, where he developed a career in management and economics consulting. He later founded KK Consulting Associates, which merged with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2002. At PwC, he served as a Partner/Director with responsibility for public sector advisory services in the Africa Central Region until 2007, after which he joined the Africa Development Professional Group in a similar role. Between 2009 and 2012, Mr. Kiragu was the Chairman of the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) in Kenya's Office of the President.

In recent years, Mr. Kiragu has been a member of the Board of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital, where he chaired the Board's Committee for Strategy, Finance & Corporate Services. Beyond his professional endeavours, he has been involved in entrepreneurship, including being a majority shareholder in Solid Investment Securities Limited, which was acquired by NIC Bank in 2008. He is also an active investor in education and farming and enjoys playing golf.

Mr. John Kimwela is a member of the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee, where he chairs the Summit, COG, and Intergovernmental Structures Sub-Committee. He is a seasoned expert in devolution and decentralized governance, with over a decade of experience in public administration, policy development, and capacity building. His extensive career spans over 15 years in both the public and private sectors.

John plays a key role in providing strategic guidance and technical assistance to both national and county governments in Kenya, aiding in the effective implementation of devolution policies and programs. Previously, he served as a policy advisor to the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Devolution, where he contributed to drafting policy papers and driving significant reforms in the devolution sector.

In addition to his public service, John has a background in the media industry, having worked as a media consultant at Capital FM, Standard Media Group, and Nation Media, where he significantly contributed to revenue growth. He also has experience in the banking sector, having served as a Business Advisor at Barclays Bank. John holds a Master's degree in Project Planning and Management, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

Mr. Michael Lenasalon is the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Devolution. He brings to the role a wealth of experience in public service, financial investigations and digital forensics, gained over more than a decade in both government and non-governmental organizations.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lenasalon served as a Senior Investigations Officer at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), where he was instrumental in the detection and investigation of tax fraud and financial crimes. His responsibilities included gathering financial intelligence, conducting forensic data analysis, case file management and providing expert testimony in court.

Mr. Lenasalon is a highly skilled digital forensics and data analysis expert, proficient in the use of specialized investigative tools such as IBM i2 Analyst's Notebook, Autopsy, Cellebrite and Maltego. He also has experience in malware analysis, network traffic monitoring and database management using SQL and Python.

He holds a Master's degree in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigations from University College Dublin, Ireland, graduating with First Class Honours. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from Kenyatta University. Mr. Lenasalon is a member of the Kenya Cybersecurity and Forensics Association and an Associate Certified Fraud Examiner.

Beyond his professional expertise, Mr. Lenasalon has demonstrated a strong commitment to community development and governance. He has held leadership positions including serving as a Board Member of the Samburu Water and Sanitation Company, a Trustee of the Samburu Development Trust, Secretary to the Samburu Professionals Association, and elected Chairperson of the Loonjorin-Ejuk Community Land.