Kenyan president taps steel tycoon Narendra Raval to lead national lottery taskforce

Kenyan President William Ruto has named multimillionaire steel magnate Narendra Raval, as the leader of the steering committee for the National Lotteries Taskforce in the country.

According to an official government publication, Ruto announced that the appointment of a committee, which includes Raval and 13 other members, will facilitate necessary consultations with key stakeholders in Kenya regarding the establishment of a national lottery.

The committee will develop a prioritized implementation matrix, outlining immediate, medium, and long-term sectoral reforms, as well as the associated budgetary requirements necessary for the efficient operation of the National Lottery, among other responsibilities.

Raval will be deputized by Gideon Thuranira.

The committee will not only develop a prioritized implementation matrix that clearly outlines immediate, medium, and long-term sectoral reforms and their associated budgetary requirements for the efficient operation of the National Lottery, but will also carry out other responsibilities, as stated by the source.

Alongside Raval, Ruto has appointed 13 individuals to the committee, including KCB Group CEO Paul Russo, who will serve as the leading multimillionaire businessman’s deputy.

The committee will comprise principal secretaries from the National Treasury, Interior, Social Protection, Culture and Heritage, the Solicitor-General or their representative, a representative from the Council of Governors, and Judith Karigu Kiragu, Anne Wakathiru Njenga, Grace Kamau, Abdillahi K. Mutwafy, and Jackline Chelangat Tonui.

Raval, the founder of Devki Group, has grown his steel-processing and trade company, established with his wife in 1986, into the largest building material and steel product manufacturer in East and Central Africa.

With an estimated net worth of $400 million in 2015, Raval now controls the majority of the company. Recently, the Devki Group opened a steel production unit in Kwale County with a capacity to produce 500,000 metric tons of steel.

This will create 2,500 jobs, 60 percent of which will be direct jobs, and help Kenya avoid importing industrial steel products for the production of billets, wire rods, and TMT bars.