President Uhuru Kenyatta named Brig John Waweru as the director general for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Uhuru, who is completing his second and final term in office, bypassed the law following the appointment.
According to Section 11 (1) of the amended Wildlife Management and Conservation Act (2013), Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala was expected to consult members of the Tourism board before the appointment.
There is no direct reference to the commander in chief of the armed to appoint the KWS boss.
The installation of the new boss comes after the board cancelled jobs advertisements for the post.
“There shall be a Director-General of the Service appointed by the Cabinet Secretary in consultation with the Board,” reads part of the statement, as quoted by Daily Nation.
Through Executive Order No. 4 of 2019, Uhuru made the appointment in a bid to counter the forces that could have influenced the changes.
External forces and civil society groups had tried to influence the appointment before Uhuru made the move.
Uhuru announced the appointment of Waweru on Wednesday, a move that has elicited mixed reactions from different factions.
The Head of State also appointed immediate former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet as the Principal Administrative Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.