THE POWER OF FOCUS:Why Teresia Mbaika Ranked Among Kenya’s Top Principal Secretaries.

In the grand theatre of Kenyan public service, where many Principal Secretaries play the role of dignified extras shuffling papers, attending endless meetings, and occasionally issuing press statements about “ongoing reforms” one performer has stolen the spotlight with actual results.

 Enter Teresia Mbaika, CBS, the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development. According to the latest Kenya Track Survey (a nationwide poll that sampled thousands of ordinary Kenyans across constituencies), she has been ranked third out of 58 Principal Secretaries, scoring a solid 24 percent in perceived impact.

Third place. Out of 58. In a country where government rankings often feel like participation trophies, this is the equivalent of winning silver at the Olympics while half the field is still tying their shoelaces.

Let’s be honest  most Kenyans view Principal Secretaries the way they view airport security queues necessary, but rarely a source of joy. Yet here is Mbaika, quietly turning the aviation sector into something that actually works, or at least looks like it’s trying very hard. And Kenyans have noticed.

From Devolution to the Skies: A Career Takeoff

Mbaika did not stumble into this role by accident. With a Master’s in Health Economics and a background in environmental health, she previously served as PS for Devolution, where she honed her skills in public finance, strategic management, and corporate governance (including stints on boards like NuPEA and NEMA). Then came the 2025 Executive Order that carved out a dedicated State Department for Aviation and Aerospace. Suddenly, what used to be a sleepy directorate had its own PS with a proper mandate and Mbaika grabbed the controls.

Her mission? To stop Kenya from being just another stopover on the way to Dubai or Johannesburg and instead become East Africa’s premier aviation hub. Ambitious? Absolutely. But in a region where airports sometimes feel like chaotic markets with wings, ambition is exactly what’s needed.

The JKIA Makeover: Fixing the National Embarrassment.

If you have ever landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after a long flight, only to spend another hour navigating broken escalators, mysterious delays, and the special fragrance of “under renovation since independence,” you understand why modernizing it is a national priority. Mbaika has made this her flagship project. She has led walkabout tours, pre-bid sessions for the modernization masterplan, and pushed for operational improvements that focus on passenger experience, cargo efficiency, and overall competitiveness.

Imagine an airport where your suitcase doesn’t take a scenic tour of the tarmac before reaching you. Where immigration queues move faster than a matatu in traffic. Where the duty-free actually has items people want to buy. Revolutionary stuff.

Of course, turning JKIA into a world-class facility is no small task. It involves capital-intensive upgrades, regulatory tweaks, and the eternal Kenyan sport of coordinating multiple agencies without anyone claiming credit or dodging blame. Yet under her watch, the department has emphasized strengthening the regulatory framework for safety and efficiency because nothing says “regional hub” like planes that actually take off on time.

Partnerships, Synergies, and the Art of Not Reinventing the Wheel

One of Mbaika’s smartest moves has been forging partnerships with the tourism and trade sectors. 

Aviation does not exist in a vacuum; it is the bridge that connects tourists to beaches, exporters to markets, and business travellers to opportunities. By creating these synergies, her team is turning airports from mere transit points into genuine economic catalysts.

In a country where “connectivity” often means hoping your flight isn’t cancelled because of “technical issues” (read: someone forgot the fuel), this collaborative approach feels refreshingly adult. It is the bureaucratic equivalent of realizing that the left hand and right hand can actually work together instead of fighting over the same pen.

Reaching for the Stars: Aerospace Dreams

What truly sets Mbaika apart is her gaze beyond today’s flight schedules. She is championing Kenya’s aerospace ambitions training, innovation, research, satellite development, and long-term space exploration initiatives. Yes, space. While some government departments are still struggling with basic Wi-Fi, hers is thinking about satellites and the final frontier.

Satire aside, this forward-thinking is rare in a system often accused of short-termism. Kenya may not be launching rockets next year (though one can dream), but laying foundations for high-skill jobs and technological edge in a global industry is the kind of vision that separates serious players from those just warming seats.

Mbaika herself attributed the ranking to her team’s collective hard work a refreshingly humble take in a town where some leaders treat every minor achievement as a personal Nobel Prize.

What the Ranking Really Reveals

The Kenya Track Survey, conducted with thousands of respondents, is not a technical audit but a public perception poll. And the public has spoken: when a technocrat delivers visible progress in a high-visibility sector that affects trade, tourism, jobs, and national pride, people notice.

In a field of 58 Principal Secretaries many of whom toil away in obscurity or, worse, in controversy Mbaika’s third-place finish feels like a quiet rebellion against mediocrity. It is proof that clear mandates, focused execution, and a willingness to tackle unglamorous but critical infrastructure can still earn respect.

Challenges remain, naturally. 

Aviation projects are expensive. Global fuel prices, supply chain woes, and the occasional geopolitical turbulence can throw even the best plans off course. Regulatory reforms often face the classic Kenyan resistance: “We have always done it this way.” And turning JKIA into a true regional powerhouse will require sustained investment and political will beyond any single PS’s tenure.

Yet her performance suggests she is navigating these realities with measurable success. In an economy hungry for multipliers more tourists, more cargo, more skilled jobs aviation and aerospace are exactly the kind of sectors that can punch above their weight.

A Brighter Sky Ahead?

Teresia Mbaika’s recognition is more than a personal pat on the back. It is a reminder that competent, results-oriented leadership still exists in government, even if it sometimes flies under the radar.

Kenya needs more such technocrats: those who think beyond the next budget cycle, collaborate instead of competing internally, and dare to dream about satellites while fixing today’s baggage carousels. If this ranking is any indication, the quiet transformation in our aviation sector is gaining altitude.

The skies ahead may still have some turbulence, but thanks to leaders like Mbaika, they are looking considerably less cloudy and perhaps even a little bit exciting. Who knows? One day we might even land at JKIA and think, “Not bad, Kenya. Not bad at all.”

In the meantime, congratulations to the third-best PS in the land. In a system full of first-class promises and economy-class delivery, she is helping prove that occasional business-class performance is still possible.