Faith Masita
The Judith Otsyula has been appointed the new Director General of the Kenya Roads Board (KRB), taking over from Engineer Isaac Maina, who had been in the acting role since October 2025. Her appointment, effective 18 February 2026, comes at a critical inflection point for Kenya’s infrastructure economy and throws a spotlight on the often-overlooked financing engines behind the country’s road network.
Funds, Strategy and Accountability
Otsyula steps into a role that controls not just tarmac and tenders but trillions in multi-billion-shilling funds, including the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) and the Kenya Roads Board Fund the engine that channels fuel levy revenue into maintenance, rehabilitation and development projects nationwide.
Kenyans
Governance of these funds has historically been cited as a bottleneck in delivery and value-for-money outcomes in the sector. For the next three years her appointed term Otsyula’s stewardship will be critically judged on whether she can tighten financial oversight, enhance accountability, and reduce fiscal leakage in one of Kenya’s most capital-intensive public sectors.
Historic Leadership, Strategic Expectations
Her appointment marks a historic milestone she is the first woman to helm the board at this level a sign many analysts say signals a shift toward merit-driven leadership in traditionally male-dominated infrastructure agencies.
KRB chairperson Aisha Jumwa underscored Otsyula’s two decades of experience in infrastructure, strategic programme management, and institutional governance credentials that are expected to anchor reforms in planning, budgeting, and funding allocations across the road subsector.
Kenyans
Growth, Mobility and Funding Innovation
The timing of the appointment is significant. Kenya is deep into a massive road expansion and maintenance drive aimed at boosting trade corridors, reducing transport costs, and unlocking value in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors. These ambitions are financed heavily through levies, fuel taxes and, increasingly, through innovative financing mechanisms such as securitisation of fuel levies a model Otsyula is expected to champion for sustainable long-term financing.
Kenyans
Her role will also be pivotal in advising the Cabinet Secretary for Roads on policy and funding, bridging public sector strategy with investor expectations and international financing partners a crucial alignment for Kenya’s stated infrastructure ambitions.
. Strengthening fund allocation and utilisation to tackle backlogs in road repairs, especially in rural and peri-urban networks.
.Driving strategic planning and performance audits to ensure value for money on infrastructure projects.
. Mobilising new resources, including private sector engagement and potential securitisation of levies, to expand the funding base.
Funds, Strategy and Accountability
Otsyula steps into a role that controls not just tarmac and tenders but trillions in multi-billion-shilling funds, including the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) and the Kenya Roads Board Fund the engine that channels fuel levy revenue into maintenance, rehabilitation and development projects nationwide.
Kenyans
Governance of these funds has historically been cited as a bottleneck in delivery and value-for-money outcomes in the sector. For the next three years her appointed term Otsyula’s stewardship will be critically judged on whether she can tighten financial oversight, enhance accountability, and reduce fiscal leakage in one of Kenya’s most capital-intensive public sectors.
Historic Leadership, Strategic Expectations
Her appointment marks a historic milestone she is the first woman to helm the board at this level a sign many analysts say signals a shift toward merit-driven leadership in traditionally male-dominated infrastructure agencies.
KRB chairperson Aisha Jumwa underscored Otsyula’s two decades of experience in infrastructure, strategic programme management, and institutional governance credentials that are expected to anchor reforms in planning, budgeting, and funding allocations across the road subsector.
Kenyans
Growth, Mobility and Funding Innovation
The timing of the appointment is significant. Kenya is deep into a massive road expansion and maintenance drive aimed at boosting trade corridors, reducing transport costs, and unlocking value in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors. These ambitions are financed heavily through levies, fuel taxes and, increasingly, through innovative financing mechanisms such as securitisation of fuel levies a model Otsyula is expected to champion for sustainable long-term financing.
Kenyans
Her role will also be pivotal in advising the Cabinet Secretary for Roads on policy and funding, bridging public sector strategy with investor expectations and international financing partners a crucial alignment for Kenya’s stated infrastructure ambitions.
. Strengthening fund allocation and utilisation to tackle backlogs in road repairs, especially in rural and peri-urban networks.
.Driving strategic planning and performance audits to ensure value for money on infrastructure projects.
. Mobilising new resources, including private sector engagement and potential securitisation of levies, to expand the funding base.
As the business and transport sectors watch closely, Otsyula’s leadership will be measured not just by paving roads, but by how effectively the Roads Board maximises capital efficiency, transparency and returns on public investment a mandate that could reshape how Kenya finances and builds the backbone of its economy.
If you want, I can also provide an analysis of how this appointment could affect fuel prices, transport costs, and investor confidence in Kenya’s infrastructure sector.
