Julius Bitok has been named the best performing Principal Secretary (PS) in 2024 in the Politrack’s Starleader of the Year Awards.
Bitok was feted for his stewardship at the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, during a colourful gala at the JW Marriot Hotel in Nairobi on Friday, March 28 night.
Since December 2022, PS Bitok has overseen transformational changes at the department that caught the attention of Kenyans.
He was at the forefront of a spirited, concerted effort to reduce the perennial backlog of passport application blamed on corruption and inefficiency. To this end, Bitok introduced a raft of measures that included the removal of a requirement to book an appointment for collection of a passport. He also saw the acquisition of new passport printing machines — with a capability of printing 600 passports per hour — at Nyayo House.
Although dragged by court cases, PS Bitok also oversaw the rolling out of the third-generation digital identity card known as Maisha Card.
Last week, PS Bitok was moved to the State Department for Basic Education.
A renowned educationist and a financial consultant with extensive experience in the public service, Bitok is expected to streamline the department and oversee the full implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
PSs Alex Wachira and Mary Muthoni ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively in the awards.
Top ten ranked PSs
Julius Bitok (Basic Education), Alex Wachira (Energy), Mary Muthoni (Public Health), Elijah Mwangi (Mining -moved to sports), Eng. Elijah Mungai Mwangi (Roads), Aurelia Rono (Parliamentary Affairs), Ephantus Kimotho (Irrigation), Geoffrey Kaituko (Shipping and Maritime Affairs), Festus Ng’eno (Environment and Climate Change), and Anne Wang’ombe (Gender and Affirmative Active).
The StarLeaders Awards 2025 celebrate outstanding performance by Kenyan leaders across counties and national government dockets.
Leveraging data from Politrack Africa Performance Index 2024, this report evaluates County Governors, Senators, Members of the National Assembly (MPs), Cabinet Secretaries (CSs), and Principal Secretaries (PSs) based on public perception, project execution, and statutory mandates.
The awards aim to foster accountability, inspire service excellence, and highlight impactful initiatives driving Kenya’s devolution agenda. Democracy thrives when citizens and institutions celebrate leaders who turn promises into progress. Recognition is not just about honoring individuals—it’s about shaping a future where every public servant aspires to be a beacon of integrity, innovation, and inclusivity.
